Sign the petition to Kick Planned Parenthood off Campus

Catholic University Faculty Push Back Against Pro-life Group’s Event on The Pro-Life Response to Rape

Post by Emily Stumpo, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator. On Good Friday, members of Knights for Life at Marian University, located in downtown  Indianapolis, were surprised to receive news that a faculty member in the Department of Psychology had emailed the entire list of faculty department chairs, staff and administrators to lambaste the pro-life event. The faculty member characterized the event as intending to mislead people making a pro-life event  part of sexual assault awareness month. His position was that it was insensitive to survivors of sexual assault to exclusively talk about those survivors who became pregnant after their assault and that the group shouldn’t be holding the event, or at least should vastly change its content.

Read article →
Twitter
Facebook-f
Instagram
Youtube
Tiktok
PREGNANCY HELPSHOPGIVE
  • Pro-life Students
    Middle School
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • FREE Training Portal
    Menu
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • FREE Training Portal
    High School
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    Menu
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    College
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    Menu
    • Learn About Abortion
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    Med & Law
    • Learn About Abortion – Med Law
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    Menu
    • Learn About Abortion – Med Law
    • Start Or Grow Your Group
    • What You Can Do
    • Free Training Portal
    Leadership
    • Pillar Teams
    • Fellowships
    Menu
    • Pillar Teams
    • Fellowships
  • Supporters
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • What We Do & Our Success
    • Our Team
    • Our Board
    • FAQs
    • SFLA Speakers
    • Press
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • April 7, 2021

Persecution of Canadian Pro-Life Group Shows Why Free Speech is Essential

The protection of free speech is a cornerstone of American freedom. The free exchange of viewpoints, ideas, and philosophies is integral to maintaining a democratic republic. America is not alone in being a country that touts freedom of speech. Canada also includes “the freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression” in the Canadian Charter for Rights and Freedoms. 

So why is it that the University of Ottawa Students for Life (UOSFL) group (not affiliated with SFLA) has been facing persecution for years when it comes to their right to free speech?

The student group had its club status rejected in 2017 because it was not compliant with the student union’s new, official pro-choice stance. At a tabling event during “Club Week” in September, the university told the student group to stop tabling, or protection services would be called — even though UOSFL was a recognized student group and had followed the rules for booking the space.

In October, the club got its official notice of renewed club status. However, a week later, they were given a notice that they had been removed from the club system. And in November, the Board of Directors for the University of Ottawa Student Union voted to approve “a motion officially establishing the Student Federation as a pro-choice organization.”

The student group did not stop meeting, but they had to meet in a non-official capacity. They would not have access to booking space for events or speakers or have any way to petition for funds for the cost of events or inviting a speaker. They sought help from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms to fight against the censorship of their freedom of speech and expression.

In 2019, it looked like the student group had a chance of getting official recognition as a club again. On October 8, 2019, they were granted official club status again, and they announced it on October 19, 2019. However, when other student body members caught a whiff of this, they pressured the Student Federation to revoke the group’s application and not recognize them as a student club. In fact, on October 27, 2019, the Board of Directors for Student Union met and “passed a motion to take a pro-choice stance on abortion.”

Currently, the University of Ottawa has written into their Club Codes that clubs “Must commit to the principle of equity and avoid discrimination. This includes, but is not limited to the following…activities or mandate must not include advocating against access to a legal abortion.” This is beyond taking a pro-choice stance as a student union.

This is positive action to suppress the equitable access to funding and space for all student groups, which amounts to suppression of free speech — only pro-choice groups are even eligible to get help from the university in promoting their freedom of expression, while pro-life groups are explicitly shut out of any such possibility. In a series of meetings in December 2019 — during the middle of final exams and as students were preparing to go home for the holiday break — the University finally decided to revoke the student club status of UOSFL.

The University and members of the Board cite reasons for revocation such as “student safety” and student’s right to access their education without fear. One of the students leading the charge against the freedom of expression of her fellow students has argued, “this whole group’s point is to undermine the basic rights of half of the student population” and “We are focusing on the students dictating where the resources they pay for go, making them feel safe on campus and free to access their education without any fear of discomfort or trauma caused by this group.” 

Of course, the question is — how is promoting a pro-life viewpoint traumatic, unsafe, or fostering fear? How does a peaceful tabling event or inviting a debate between pro-life and pro-choice speakers make the University unsafe for students? And the students in that group are also paying for their education; do they not also have a right to dictate where their resources go and feel like they have a space on campus to feel safe to express their views?  The University of Ottawa overall scores very low on the Campus Freedom Index, with multiple examples cited for the school as a whole and the student union specifically.

Being exposed to differing viewpoints is part of the whole reason to attend college. As Andrew Lawton, a Canadian broadcaster and columnist, points out, “campus censorship thrives under the guise of fostering ‘inclusivity.’” Nothing shouts “We’re inclusive! We care about freedom of expression!” than a University claiming a group with a non-approved viewpoint on a contentious issue should be blocked from any resources to express their viewpoint.

Blog written by Samantha Kamman.

Post Views: 110
  • Total: 0
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Autumn Schimmer
  • [email protected]
  • Free-Speech, high school, In the News, Med Students, Planned Parenthood, Supporters

Related Posts

Catholic University Faculty Push Back Against Pro-life Group’s Event on The Pro-Life Response to Rape
Read more +
Pro-Life Future Campaign Sees Successful Launch in Denver: We’re Eradicating Abortion One City At a Time
Read more +
Chalk of Life-Affirming Resources Vandalized on Catholic University’s Campus
Read more +
Kristan Hawkins to Address Arizona State University of the Future is Anti-Abortion Speaking Tour, Unpacking the Grassroots Trends Changing America
Read more +
Students for Life Action Condemns the FDA’s decision to Allow “Death by mail,” making abortion easier to sell for Corporate Abortion while Risking Women’s Lives
Read more +
No Matter the Circumstances, Killing Innocent Humans Is Wrong
Read more +
Search
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube
Snapchat

Copyright © 2021 Students for Life of America.

Text LIFE to 53445 to stay connected with the
Pro-Life Generation

PRO-LIFE STUDENTS
Middle School
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • FREE Training Portal
Menu
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • FREE Training Portal
High School
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
Menu
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
College
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
Menu
  • Learn About Abortion
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
Med & Law
  • Learn About Abortion – Med Law
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
Menu
  • Learn About Abortion – Med Law
  • Start Or Grow Your Group
  • What You Can Do
  • Free Training Portal
SUPPORTERS
ABOUT US
  • Mission Statement
  • What We Do & Our Success
  • Our Team
  • Our Board
  • FAQs
  • SFLA Speakers
  • Press
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Mission Statement
  • What We Do & Our Success
  • Our Team
  • Our Board
  • FAQs
  • SFLA Speakers
  • Press
  • Contact Us
BLOG
  • Blog
Menu
  • Blog