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Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Posted Friday, April 3, 2026
For the past two and a half years, I have remained silent—due in part to honoring the terms of an employment agreement that specifically restricted what I could say publicly, and because, as the founder of Campus Pride, I believed it was important to give the organization the opportunity to move forward and continue its necessary work into the future.
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Campus Pride was more than an organization to me—it was an extension of my FAMILY. When you build something from the ground up, nurture it, and dedicate your life to it, it becomes deeply personal.
For more than 20 years, I have built relationships with LGBTQ students across the country—watching them grow, find their voice, giving them a safe haven to express opinions, thoughts and ideas that would ultimately allow these students, these leaders, to go on to make meaningful, positive impacts in the world.
I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank each of those individuals who have reached out to me during this difficult time. Your support, kindness, and belief in me have meant more than I can fully express. Those who know me know my heart, my integrity, my deep commitment and the tangible results of my work. It has never changed — and remains true.
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New developments bring greater clarity to recent events and raise important questions about the intent behind actions impacting me, the organization’s work, and my leadership. In light of this, I believe it is necessary to address the situation directly and present the facts.
I have decided to share this statement following the recent public circulation of a formal whistleblower complaint from a former Campus Pride employee with direct, day-to-day knowledge of operations—bringing forward critical context not previously reflected in public reporting. The complaint outlines conditions that contrast with the public narrative surrounding my departure, including a period marked by inconsistent board leadership, limited operational support.and broader governance challenges within the organization. It also raises concerns about how information was shared externally, including the handling of confidential materials and the accuracy of the narrative presented to the public.
When information about my departure became public through the unlawful release of a confidential agreement that I was sworn to uphold, I was not in a position to respond openly due to legal considerations in the breaching of that contract. I also genuinely hoped there was a path forward for Campus Pride—including conversations I had already initiated around a potential transition and future merger for the organization.
I stepped aside—and remained silent—out of care and a deep love for the organization. I would not have made the decision to leave the organization, if I believed the work would not continue or that the community would not be meaningfully supported moving forward. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. And the whistleblower complaint raises questions about whether this was ever truly about supporting the organization and its mission.
Over the past two and a half years since my departure from Campus Pride, the dedicated volunteers who were crucial in leading and sustaining our programs were not engaged, programs and services were thoughtlessly abandoned, the website was not updated, and no advocacy efforts took place—all at a time when LGBTQ youth voices needed to be represented more than ever. And most recently, as I understand it, the organization has ceased operations following the collapse of the merger.
It has been incredibly difficult to watch my life’s work carelessly handled, and my reputation portrayed publicly in ways that are incomplete and fail to reflect the truth or the full complexity of what occurred. It has also been painful to see the organization not continue to lead in the way I had hoped following my departure.
A significant amount has been written about my departure, much of it shaped by allegations that distorted and misrepresented the facts, relying on inaccuracies, opinions presented as fact, and unverified or untruthful claims. As those stories were repeated and amplified across multiple outlets, critical context was lost, allowing incomplete and, at times, misleading or unsupported claims to shape a narrative that is, in key respects, wrong, not true, and does not accurately reflect what occurred.
The full story is far more complex than what has been portrayed in attention-driven headlines, and there are perspectives and publicly available information that were not part of the original reporting.
The whistleblower complaint raises serious questions about how information was provided and shared with the media and how the resulting narrative was shaped, including whether the reported “anonymous” release of materials was accurately and fairly represented and whether that portrayal reflected a complete, truthful and balanced account of what was truly happening at the time. It also points to broader board governance and structural challenges within the organization that were not reflected in the coverage.
Taken together, this information provides a more complete understanding of the conditions under which these matters occurred. It is also consistent with my experience during that time—that the Board did not meet its responsibilities in providing the governance and operational support necessary for the organization’s sustainability or for my effectiveness as its executive leader.
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Setting the record straight requires returning to the facts.
For more than two decades, through my leadership in LGBTQ advocacy and student support initiatives, my life’s work has been dedicated to LGBTQ students and building safer, more inclusive campus communities across the country.
In 2001, I co-created Campus PrideNet—the precursor to Campus Pride—with two others. It operated as a for-profit initiative for its first seven years, fully funded through my business, Stargayzer, Inc., which supported the website, and all programs and services. During that time, the work was sustained through my workshops, trainings, speaking engagements, and personal financial contributions. There were no donations or other sources of income. This history has always been publicly available and transparent.
In 2007, I formally established Campus Pride as a nonprofit with a vision to create a national movement supporting LGBTQ youth in higher education. From 2007 to 2014, the organization’s budget was funded almost entirely through revenue generated by my speaking engagements, trainings, and workshops. Support from Stargayzer, Inc. also continued through 2016 in the form of pro bono services, office space, equipment, and other resources. I have always been proud of this model of self-reliance on program-driven revenue and my ability to personally sustain and support this important work early-on.
What began as an idea evolved into a nationally recognized organization providing life-changing programs, research, and support to more than 1,200 colleges and universities across the United States. With the support of dedicated volunteers, contractors, and community partners, we built something that reached and supported hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ young people.
I led every aspect of the organization’s work—advocacy, fundraising, program development, facilitating workshops/trainings, event planning, curriculum development, internships, partnerships, communications, and direct engagement with students and campuses—while also managing day-to-day operations, financial oversight, compliance, contractor and volunteer coordination, and organizational infrastructure, all under the governance of a Board of Directors.
In hindsight, I recognize there were moments when I should have stepped back and acknowledged that the structure and support needed to effectively lead the organization—and sustain its work—were not in place. It is apparent that I should have paused and reassessed whether continuing Campus Pride without the support necessary was the right path forward.
As the sole full-time executive responsible for running a national nonprofit, I lacked the consistent leadership and infrastructure reasonably required for an organization of that scope. Over time, this became unsustainable—both for me personally and for the organization. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, these challenges only intensified, particularly with the loss of the office space and the absence of consistent financial and bookkeeping support.
At the time—before I fully understood how significant these challenges would become—I was actively working to address them. I recruited four new board members to strengthen governance, re-established new bookkeeping support to bring the organization’s financial records current, and explored options to preserve the organization, including a potential merger. None of these efforts were reflected in public reporting.
When I found and identified financial errors during the process of bringing the books current, I promptly reported them to the newly established board leadership. The specifics of those errors were not fully reviewed or substantiated through a mutual process, and subsequent reporting has, in several instances, mischaracterized their nature and scope — and, in some cases, inaccurately represented the terms and purpose of the confidential employment agreement.
It is also important to correct one key point directly: the workers’ compensation-related charge referenced in several of these articles was dismissed and later expunged. It was also determined that there was no legal requirement for Campus Pride to carry workers’ compensation insurance under North Carolina law based on its staffing structure. Any suggestion that this matter established fraud or ongoing legal wrongdoing is inaccurate.
The verified legal facts and record are as follows:
Those are the facts and the truth of the matter.
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At the heart of all of this is that Campus Pride was never just a job to me—it was my life’s work, my passion, and what I tirelessly believed was my calling. It was the students, their stories, and the lives we were changing—and in some cases, helping to save—every single day. That’s why I kept going.
Walking away for the greater good of what I had hoped would be the ongoing work of Campus Pride didn’t feel like simply leaving a career—it felt like leaving home, like leaving a family. I cared deeply about protecting that community. I worked tirelessly to ensure our nearly two dozen national programs and services were not only successful, but truly impactful. This work of making a meaningful difference in the lives of LGBTQ youth was (and is) deeply personal to me, and making the decision to walk away was beyond difficult.
But commitment alone cannot sustain an organization. Without the support systems in place, even the most passionate, dedicated person cannot carry that responsibility indefinitely. Ultimately, that reality shaped how this chapter came to a close.
Through all of this, I have remained grounded in what I know to be true: the impact of Campus Pride, its work lives in each of the lives touched. That impact cannot be diminished now or in the future.
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To my Campus Pride family, I have always tried to lead in the way I encouraged others to lead—with integrity, by owning my mistakes, and by demonstrating growth through my actions.
I will always be proud of what we created together and deeply grateful for the role each of you played in that journey. As you reflect on Campus Pride and what it meant to you, I encourage you to hold onto those memories and that community. They are real, they are lasting, and they belong to you.
I am saddened that Campus Pride will not be there for future LGBTQ youth. I am truly sorry for how this has impacted you and Campus Pride. Please know I am always here—to talk, to listen, and to support you—just a message away.
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These past two years have reminded me that even in difficult moments, love, integrity, and truth still matter—and that the people who truly know you will always see you clearly, beyond hearsay, headlines or even the malicious intent of others.
I share this with the Campus Pride family in the spirit of transparency, truth, and respect for the community we built together. I also share this more broadly with the public to set the record straight and to ensure that my name is not defined by accusations that are not grounded in fact.
The legacy of this work extends far beyond any single organization or individual. It lives on in the lives touched, the voices empowered, and the communities strengthened over more than two decades.
At a time when LGBTQ people—especially our trans siblings—are increasingly targeted, vilified, and under attack, the need for this work has never been more urgent. We need all of our voices, all of our energy, and a renewed commitment to showing up for one another.
I move forward with that same purpose, with gratitude for what we built together, and with a continued commitment to making a positive difference wherever and whenever I can.
Born from resilience and resistance, with love, always.
Shane Windmeyer
(also known as Buff Faye)
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Note: While this development of the whistleblower complaint is significant, I cannot comment further at this time as I evaluate potential legal action related to breach of contract and defamation. Readers are encouraged to review this statement and accompanying materials in full prior to sharing or repeating information, particularly where such information may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, as doing so may have legal consequences.
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Shane Mendez Windmeyer
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