Georgetown Students Chain Themselves to Statue to Protest Reproductive Injustice

by Roxann MtJoy · 2010-03-30 06:00:00 UTC
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Last weekend, several awesome, pro-choice Georgetown University students taped their mouths shut and chained themselves to a prominent statue of the college founder that is visible to prospective students and parents on official campus tours. Nearby, other students held banners and chanted into a megaphone. The students, part of an unofficial campus group called  H*yas for Choice, were protesting the Catholic university's policy of not providing condoms or birth control anywhere on campus. They are calling their campaign Plan A: Hoyas for Reproductive Justice.

So why wouldn't a university want to do everything it can to protect the sexual health of its students? According to Georgetown's Vice President for Student Affairs Todd A. Olson, "As a Catholic and Jesuit university, our policies must reflect our identity and our values." In other words, the administration would like to pretend their students aren't having sex and just hope it all turns out all right. Brilliant plan.

Whether or not the administration wants to admit it, students are having sex and they need to be able to protect themselves. In fact, Washington D.C., the city where the campus is located, is currently experiencing an HIV/AIDS epidemic, with recent reports saying 3% of area teenagers and adults currently are living with either HIV or AIDS. The school even has an on-campus AIDS Coalition. With risks such as those, it is shocking that Georgetown officials think it is their Christian duty to deny students condoms at campus health services.

While the AIDS Coalition is an official, school-recognized group, H*yas for Choice is not. Again, this is because their mission is considered to run counter to the school and Roman Catholic values. What kind of value system leaves students defenseless against AIDS and other STDs, not to mention unwanted pregnancy? Hopefully the over 100 H*yas for Choice members (not to mention the 1000-plus people on the email list) will continue their fight for reproductive justice for students. Clearly the school won't protect its students without a fight.

Photo credit: Autistic Psycho

Roxann MtJoy is a freelance writer who previously worked as a case manager at a domestic violence shelter. She is currently attending graduate school for theater in Mount Vernon, N.Y.
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