There’s nothing ‘neutral’ or ‘equal’ about UNC deleting a Pride post | Opinion
On June 1, UNC-Chapel Hill’s athletics department posted something that should not have been controversial: “The Tar Heels are for everyone,” with a rainbow argyle graphic.
That post has since been deleted.
A university spokesperson told The News & Observer that “the social post in question was taken down because it violated the UNC System’s Equality Policy, which requires neutrality on political and social issues.”
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’t for everyone?
Let’s be clear: supporting human rights is not political, but neutrality can be. Refusing to “take a side” 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’s just a matter of dignity and acceptance. It’s 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’t support everyone unless you support the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2024, the UNC System implemented a policy that eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in favor of “principled neutrality.” At the time, UNC System leaders claimed the move was about eliminating academic initiatives and policies that supposedly favored some groups over others.
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’t about “rethinking” diversity and equality — it was about throwing away those concepts altogether. A social media post is not a DEI initiative. It’s not giving anyone preferential treatment, and it’s not discriminating against people who don’t belong to the LGBTQ+ community. It is, quite literally, just a social media post.
What’s next? Deleting posts about Black History Month? No longer celebrating Veterans’ Day? Is that wrong, too? It shouldn’t 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.
However, I suspect that it’s not the singling out of a particular community that’s the problem. The problem is which community UNC chose to single out. It’s OK to celebrate people, so long as the powers that be approve of who you’re celebrating. And, frankly, there’s nothing “equal” or “neutral” about that.
Deputy Opinion Editor Paige Masten is covering politics and the 2026 elections for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer.
