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Urban Meyer, head football coach at Ohio State University, has apologized to the university's gay alumni association for the practice -- which he said will be stopped -- of punishing athletes who have not been performing well by making them wear lavender jerseys, The Other Paper reported. Tim Valentine, president of the Ohio State University Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Alumni Society, praised the coach's decision. "Hidden under the guise of being a competitive motivator or 'the only color left,' the choice of lavender reinforces homophobia and promotes bullying amongst students. The color lavender is associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community,” Valentine said. Meyer said that the use of lavender "was never intended to be used to offend anybody.” He offered "sincere apologies" to the alumni group.
