Penn State joins You Can Play effort

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State has officially released its video in support of the You Can Play initiative. You Can Play is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation.

Penn State's video also can be viewed on the You Can Play site. 

"At Penn State, everyone associated with our programs from coaches and administration to student-athletes and fans has an expectation of respect for each other and every competitor no matter what their sexual orientation, race, or religion," said Penn State Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "We are proud to be involved with an initiative like You Can Play that supports inclusion and highlights in such a positive way what the true spirit of competition is all about."

You Can Play works to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete, judged by other athletes and fans alike, only by what they contribute to the sport or their team's success. You Can Play seeks to challenge the culture of locker rooms and spectator areas by focusing only on an athlete's skills, work ethic and competitive spirit.

You Can Play Executive Director Wade Davis will be on-campus at the end of October for on-campus training. Davis is a former NFL player who is one of a small number of openly gay men to have played professional sports. More details on Davis' visit are forthcoming.

Penn State's You Can Play Video was produced by the Intercollegiate Athletics Video Department in conjunction with the Athletics Council for Diversity and Inclusion (ACDI). Special thanks to Allison Subasic, Director of Penn State's LGBTA Student Resource Center, Aimee Brown-Shadduck of ACDI and Alex Yakacki for their work on the project.