Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the College Fix on June 24, 2025. With edits to match Minding the Campus’s style guidelines, it is crossposted here with permission.
More than half of the American colleges and universities that pledged to remain neutral on hot-button political issues posted in support of LGBT “pride” this June, according to the results of a survey by the College Fix.
The Fix reviewed the social media accounts of 152 American colleges and universities whose leaders have declared they will practice “institutional neutrality.”
But at least 82 posted in some way in support of LGBT pride through either their main accounts or related entities, such as libraries or sports teams. (Once the Fix identified at least one example for a university, it did not look at other accounts for the same school.)
Issues like whether men should be allowed to play in women’s sports and if 13-year-old girls should be allowed to have their breasts removed remain a topic of division among Americans. If anything, polling is even trending against the LGBT agenda.
A post-2024 election report from the American Principles Project concluded President Donald Trump won last year based largely on his criticism of transgenderism.
However, a representative with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which supports institutional neutrality, said there is no conflict with colleges and universities promoting LGBT issues while pledging to stay neutral on political topics.
“Institutional neutrality doesn’t automatically mean institutional silence. A simple ‘Happy Pride Month’ message—much like a ‘Happy Fourth of July’ post—doesn’t inherently violate a university’s commitment to neutrality,” Campus Advocacy Chief of Staff Connor Murnane told the Fix via a media statement.
“However, when schools move beyond celebration and begin endorsing specific legislation or policy positions, they risk crossing the line into institutional advocacy,” Murnane stated.
But the LGBT topic is not without controversy.
“Pride Month is not a neutral issue but rather part of a broader cultural revolution aimed at overturning Christian morality,” John Ritchie told the Fix via email. His group advocates for restoring Christian morality in American culture, including on college campuses.
“Universities that publicly endorse the sin of pride while claiming neutrality are being intellectually dishonest and are undermining the trust of their students, alumni, and community,” Ritchie, director of TFP Student Action, told the Fix.
‘Proud to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’
The Fix used the list compiled by Heterodox Academy of all American and Canadian universities that have pledged institutional neutrality for its survey.
For example, “Happy #PrideMonth, Warhawks,” the official Instagram account for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, stated on June 1. Communications director Jeff Angileri did not respond to two emailed requests for comment on the posts in the past week.
“Happy Pride Month, Broncos,” Western Michigan University wrote on its Facebook page. “At #WMU, we’re proud to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community this month (and every month)!”
Its media director, Tony Proudfoot, likewise did not respond to a request for comment via a submission form on Monday, June 23. The Fix called his listed phone number in the middle of the day on Thursday, but no one at the marketing and communications office answered. Proudfoot did not respond to the voicemail left on Thursday.
“At the heart of Pride is a celebration of collective resilience. We celebrate this month with all Spartans,” Michigan State University’s official Instagram account wrote.
Even the University of Chicago, the oft-cited source for the birthplace of institutional neutrality, was out and proud, and joined the chorus.
“This June, we’re centering LGBTQ+ wellness and celebrating every identity and experience,” the Student Wellness Instagram account posted. “Whether you’re out, questioning, quiet, loud, or anywhere in between — you belong here.”
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Does it break the pledge?
FIRE’s Murnane said when it comes to institutional neutrality, the “key is consistency.”
“Schools that adopt institutional neutrality should ensure they are not selectively weighing in on social or political matters, and more importantly, they must protect robust speech rights for all on campus. This ensures students, faculty, and staff can speak freely—including to challenge whether a particular message of patriotism or pride went too far,” he said.
However, several higher education leaders said colleges should not be promoting LGBT pride.
Ritchie told the Fix that “higher education should seek truth and not pander to the sexual revolution.” LGBT issues like the “redefinition of marriage” and “transgender ideology” are far from “settled,” Ritchie said.
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“From a natural law perspective, the truth about human sexuality is immutable: marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and biological sex is not a matter of personal preference but a gift from God,” he said. “Many Americans are rightly questioning the long-term spiritual, physical, and psychological consequences of so-called gender-affirming care, particularly for children.”
“Universities should focus on pursuing objective truth and forming students in virtue,” Ritchie said.
These sentiments were shared by Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. His group produces the Newman Guide, which helps identify faithful Catholic colleges.
“It’s a scam,” Reilly told the Fix when asked about institutional neutrality and LGBT pride.
“Most universities today claim academic freedom, but what that really means is they have no commitment to truth, even the good of their own students,” Reilly said via email. “The loudest, most emotional, and most threatening forces take control.”
He said there is a better way for universities.
“We think the Catholic colleges we recognize in The Newman Guide are the most free, because they plainly declare their commitment to Catholic beliefs, confidently reject what is known to be false, and encourage learning that strives for the truth,” Reilly said. “Everyone who attends a Newman Guide college knows its principles and expectations and doesn’t have to fear the whims of fanatical college leaders and professors.”
INSIDE IMAGES CAPTIONS AND CREDITS: Columbia University Engineering posts in support of LGBT pride; Columbia Engineering/Instagram; Western Michigan University celebrates LGBT pride; Western Michigan University/Facebook
Cover image: “Graduating senior Raymond Ortiz sports his specially customized graduation cap” by CSUF Photos on Flickr
