When Albany University canceled its men’s basketball game at Duke due to the passing of anti-LGBT bill HB2, the Blue Devils went looking for a replacement. It didn’t take them long to schedule Marist College, just down the street from Albany in New York.

Albany had had to withdraw due to a statewide ban on public funds being used to travel to North Carolina. Because Marist is a private school, there was no such ban for them.

Yet an outcry immediately erupted from Marist alumni when the game made its way to the books. The alumni and others were upset that the school would support a state that endorses bigotry and that would subject its LGBT players, coaches and fans to discrimination.

To show solidarity with the LGBT community, the Marist players wore socks with rainbows on them during the game. From photos of the game it seemed not all the players wore the rainbows, but at least several of them did.

While the players don’t have much control over their schedule, this was a nice way for them, the team and the school to let the LGBT community know they were heard and not forgot. It would be amazing to see other teams traveling to North Carolina do the same.

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