The group, made together with student-athletes, coaches and administrators from the Big Ten conference, looks to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and create “meaningful dialogue” within the Big Ten community.

“We are proud to continue to ‘Unite as One’ in support of the members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community and to amplify their voices as part of the Big Ten Equality Coalition,” Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a press release. “The formation of the LGBTQ+ Working Group will help inspire more members of the conference’s LGBTQ+ community to use their voices to drive change in their respective communities.”

“The members of this working group have all come together to create spaces where we can uplift, support, and celebrate the LGBTQ+ individuals across the Big Ten Conference,” University of Maryland Assistant Athletic Director Resa B. Lovelace said in the press release. “We look forward to sharing our stories globally through programs and resources.”

The Big Ten Equality Coalition was formed in 2020 shortly after the death of George Floyd which sparked protests across the globe. The coalition aims to find ways to combat racism and hate and uplift the voices of its student athletes. The coalition has members from each school including Michigan State President Samuel L. Stanley Jr, Michigan State football Head Coach Mel Tucker and Michigan State Athletic Director Alan Haller.

In addition to this new group, the Big Ten Equality Coalition has established a Voter Registration Committee and will be traveling down to Selma, Alabama, for a two-day trip in July that will include a march on the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday attack.