WNBA’s Take A Seat, Take A Stand brings its passion for social justice to its fans

For WNBA players, the summer of 2016 was a year — for power and for the ability to speak out against social injustice. Before Colin Kaepernick took a knee, before The ESPYS’ cold intro when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade weighed in on gun violence.

Minnesota Lynx  captains  Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen stood before media wearing “Change Starts With Us  —  Justice and Accountability” shirts. On the back, the names of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” and the Dallas Police Department shield appeared.

And that was just the beginning.

To start the 2018 season, the WNBA has launched a program that gets the crowd involved and benefits community programs.

Take A Seat, Take A Stand is the league’s new women and girls empowerment program. It uses proceeds from WNBA tickets to do more than support the bottom line. When fans take a seat at a WNBA game, they also have the chance to support several organizations, including Bright Pink, GLSEN, It’s On Us, MENTOR, Planned Parenthood and the United State of Women.

The league will donate $5 to each fan’s chosen organization, along with a ticket for a young woman or girl. Fans can also donate tickets directly to one of the organizations.

“For 22 years, the WNBA and its players — women playing at the highest level of their sport — have stood up as role models for millions of women and girls,” WNBA president Lisa Borders said in a release. “With Take a Seat, Take a Stand, we are proud to come together as a league to stand with our partner organizations, our fans and the many inspiring women raising their voices for change in the current women’s movement.”

Bright Pink is a national nonprofit focused on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women. GLSEN is a national network of students, educators, parents and community leaders working to create safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ students. It’s On Us is a cultural movement aimed at fundamentally shifting the way we think about sexual assault. MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership unifies quality youth mentoring in the United States. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. The United State of Women is a national organization for any woman who sees that we need a different America for all women to survive and thrive — and wants to work collectively to achieve it.

Besides these organizations, fans will have the choice to support local organizations in all 12 teams’ communities, which will vary by city.

“We’re so grateful the WNBA is standing up for the 2.4 million patients who rely on Planned Parenthood and supporting issues that affect the health, well-being and success of women and girls,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Players have used their platforms to bring attention to inequality, and through Take a Seat, Take a Stand, the WNBA is giving fans an opportunity to join them in the fight for social change.”

For Bright Pink, the program demonstrates the WNBA’s strong commitment to women’s causes and is an example of everything the league represents to communities.

“The WNBA has been an incredible partner to our organization by helping thousands of women know their risk for breast and ovarian cancer and be their own best health advocates,” said Katie Thiede, CEO of Bright Pink. “We’re thrilled to be involved.”

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the WNBA as part of this fan engagement campaign,” said Eliza Byard, executive director of GLSEN. “The league and its players have made such a difference for so many women and girls, and especially for young LGBT athletes who often feel unwelcome in the world of sports. Thanks to the league and its fans, GLSEN will be able to open so many more doors of opportunity to LGBT students in school, on the court and beyond.”

Tina Tchen — partner, Buckley Sandler LLP, and co-founder of It’s On Us — says they are excited to join forces with the WNBA’s Take A Seat, Take A Stand campaign to inspire and empower women and girls.

“For decades, the WNBA and its players have been strong advocates for gender equality, LGBTQ rights and youth empowerment, and we are excited to partner with the WNBA family to collectively take a stand against sexual assault,” Tchen said.

“We are so grateful for the NBA family’s consistent support and partnership to elevate mentoring,” said David Shapiro, CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership. “Teaming up with the WNBA in our shared mission to bring people together, build relationships and prioritize equity is such a natural match. Young people seeing extraordinary women competing and leading at the highest level expands the narrative about what is possible in their own lives and in our culture.”

“The United State of Women is thrilled to partner with the WNBA to support young women and girls across the country,” said Jordan Brooks, managing director of The United State of Women. “The WNBA is home to so many inspiring women who wow us with their skills on the court and serve as role models in the community. We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this effort … to inspire and elevate women and girls around the country.”