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So as I had previously tweeted, I attended an event held by SFU's very own anti-abortion group. Giving a rundown of this event and the group's mandate and initiatives is important in spreading awareness about anti-choice activism on campus. #Rterms
I suppose beginning with this group's (known as SFU Lifeline) mandate is a good starting point, which is as follows: "SFU Lifeline advocates for pre-born children, whose human rights are violated by abortion, which is legal in all 9 months of pregnancy in Canada....
...We are dedicated to raising awareness about this issue, and providing women with the support and resources they need to make a life-affirming choice that respects both mother and child."
It's important to note that, while group representatives were adamant that they are not a group with any religious affiliation, the organizations they intend to fundraise for (e.g. Chilliwack Pro-Life Society) most certainly are.
Their mandate stems directly from their belief that life begins once an egg is fertilized. As such, they believe that zygotes used during IVF procedures are human beings. When IVF fails, they view these unsuccessful treatments as murder. #Rterms
A question raised by an individual at the event sparked ample discussion surrounding spontaneous abortions (aka miscarriages) - if an elective abortion is murder, then is a miscarriage considered manslaughter? The group did not have a conclusive response to that question.
Pregnancies resulting from rape or incest were not grounds for termination, according to SFU Lifeline. While the group members acknowledged that these acts are heinous, they stood firm that victims of such crimes should access therapy and carry the pregnancy to term regardless.
Any statistical information regarding health outcomes of mothers and children associated with reproductive rights I attempted to present the group was ignored. #Rterms
A lot of discussion surrounded fetal viability, sentience, consciousness, pain, and consent. The group seemed to be lacking knowledge about these topics, specifically neural development during pregnancy and anatomical characteristic of the womb (umbilical cords, placenta, etc.)
I argued that reproductive justice activism centres around alleviating barriers faced by pregnant individuals. Finances seemed to be a big part of the discussion, as they argued that women feel pressured to have abortions when they can't afford to raise a child.
In this aspect, I agreed with them. That is a very harsh reality for many individuals looking to have children. The difference between their group's initiatives and those of reproductive justice advocates is that reproductive justice advocates seek to support women in raising...
...a child that they WANT to have, and not because of some theological/moralistic imperative that a fetus' rights supersede a mother's. Attempts to discuss the issue further continuously reached an impasse of fetal life and its supposed sanctity.
Their attempts to find common ground failed, their attempts to compare abortion with the murder of infants/toddlers failed (especially within the context of rape/incest), and they stood firm with their intent to support criminalizing abortion, regardless of the stage of pregnancy
I find it frightening and frustrating that so many young people were so aggressive in their anti-abortion stance, and that under the guise of free speech they intend to continue their activity and spread misinformation, all while being funded by SFSS #Rterms
They compared current legalities surrounding abortion rights protections to slavery in the US (yes, literal slavery) and clearly did very little research pertaining to any of the issues they raised. They need to go.
The current plan is to bring this discussion forward to SFSS Council on Wednesday at our final meeting, and strongly advocate that the SFSS takes a pro-choice stance. #Rterms
TL;DR : freedom of speech protections do not apply when seeking funding from private organizations like the SFSS, and those freedoms do not get to encroach on the well-being and reproductive agency of women.
SFSS by-laws state that members must act in accordance with the Charter of Human Rights and the BC Human Rights Code, alongside fundamental values of "inclusivity, integrity, empowerment, advocacy, and community" - I think the group could be disbanded on these grounds. #Rterms
So let's see how this goes. I will keep this twitter updated on developments as they happen. I refuse to stay complicit while my student fees are being used to support groups like SFU Lifeline. You have every right to spew your bigotry, just not with funding from my tuition.
