{"id":1233,"date":"2026-06-05T15:35:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1233"},"modified":"2026-06-05T15:35:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:35:18","slug":"theres-nothing-neutral-or-equal-about-unc-deleting-a-pride-post-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1233","title":{"rendered":"There\u2019s nothing \u2018neutral\u2019 or \u2018equal\u2019 about UNC deleting a Pride post | Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

On June 1, UNC-Chapel Hill\u2019s athletics department posted something that should not have been controversial: \u201cThe Tar Heels are for everyone,\u201d with a rainbow argyle graphic.<\/p>\n

Read more This new Charlotte club delivers meat to your door. How to get your hands on it.<\/a><\/p>\n

That post has since been deleted.<\/p>\n

A university spokesperson told The News & Observer<\/a> that \u201cthe social post in question was taken down because it violated the UNC System\u2019s Equality Policy, which requires neutrality on political and social issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

How depressing that, in 2026, a statement as inclusive as that is considered divisive or too political. What, exactly, is the implication? That the Tar Heels aren\u2019t<\/i> for everyone?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be clear: supporting human rights is not political, but neutrality can be. Refusing to \u201ctake a side\u201d is still taking a side, and deleting the post sends a more political message than the initial post ever did. Acknowledging Pride Month does not mean endorsing a particular policy, candidate or party. It\u2019s just a matter of dignity and acceptance. It\u2019s about letting people be who they are, and giving them a safe space to do it. Supporting the LGBTQ+ community does not come at the expense of supporting everyone else. In fact, you can\u2019t support everyone unless you support the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the UNC System implemented a policy<\/a> that eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in favor of \u201cprincipled neutrality.\u201d At the time, UNC System leaders claimed the move was about eliminating academic initiatives and policies that supposedly favored some groups over others.<\/p>\n

Read more The ashes of 116 unclaimed dead were scattered at sea, North Carolina video shows<\/a><\/p>\n

But extending that to social media posts shows that it was never just about DEI programs or the money that was being spent on them. It certainly wasn\u2019t about \u201crethinking\u201d diversity and equality \u2014 it was about throwing away those concepts altogether. A social media post is not a DEI initiative. It\u2019s not giving anyone preferential treatment, and it\u2019s not discriminating against people who don\u2019t belong to the LGBTQ+ community. It is, quite literally, just a social media post.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next? Deleting posts about Black History Month? No longer celebrating Veterans\u2019 Day? Is that wrong, too? It shouldn\u2019t be, because those causes are important and worthy of recognition. But if the argument is that highlighting a specific community is wrong, then all of that should be off the table.<\/p>\n

However, I suspect that it\u2019s not the singling out of a particular community that\u2019s the problem. The problem is which community UNC chose to single out. It\u2019s OK to celebrate people, so long as the powers that be approve of who you\u2019re celebrating. And, frankly, there\u2019s nothing \u201cequal\u201d or \u201cneutral\u201d about that.<\/p>\n

Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten is covering politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more School awards ceremony ends with adults brawling in parking lot, NC sheriff says<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deleting the post sends a more political message than the initial post ever did. | Opinion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nThere\u2019s nothing \u2018neutral\u2019 or \u2018equal\u2019 about UNC deleting a Pride post | Opinion - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1233\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"There\u2019s nothing \u2018neutral\u2019 or \u2018equal\u2019 about UNC deleting a Pride post | Opinion - 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