A US student marching band has delivered a powerful half-time performance during a college football game, taking to the field with up to 70 pride and trans flags.
Set to the tune of 'YMCA' by the Village People, the routine was performed by Rice University's Marching Owl Band (MOB) in solidarity with their team's opposition - Baylor University, a Baptist institution which allegedly refuses to recognise its LGBTIQ+ students and says “homosexual behavior” isn’t permitted.
According to Houston Chronicle, Baylor University has repeatedly declined to officially acknowledge the Gamma Alpha Upsilon ('G.A.Y in Greek lettering), an LGBTIQ+ student group which was established in 2011 and has been fighting for recognition ever since. Not being recognised by the university means that students in the group are unable to advertise their events on campus, utilise university spaces for meetings and receive funding through the student government.
Baylor University’s sexual conduct policy reportedly states that "Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching,” including “heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior.”
The decision to protest the university's anti-LGBTIQ+ policies was an easy one, a member of Rice University's MOB told Houston Chronicle.
“We just think that’s kind of ridiculous,” Chad Fisher, a spokesman for the band said following the performance.
“And so we all got to our show writing meeting Sunday, and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is like exactly what our show needs to be about. We absolutely need to call Baylor out for this.’"
He added: "From there, it just kind of happened."
Around 70 pride and trans flags were donated to the group by school students for the performance, with up to 30 volunteering to be involved.
