On Jan. 21, members of the Georgetown University student body gathered as a community to protest one of the largest anti-abortion conferences in the United States — the Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life — hosted right here on our campus every year. Almost exactly coinciding with the 50-year anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling, this protest, which was organized by H*yas for Choice (HFC), a pro-abortion advocacy group serving Georgetown students, was a stark reminder of the real-world impacts of Georgetown’s purported “Catholic values” on the well-being of so many young people. Georgetown must show support and respect for all members of its student body by ceasing its funding for and hosting of this conference.
This year, the theme of the conference was “Next Steps: Humanizing Our Political System.” However, I believe it was HFC’s protest, more so than the conference, that did exactly that — put humanity back into a conversation that is often presented as political.
The restriction of abortion endangers the lives of people with uteruses. According to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women considers abortion health care and under international law, denial of medical services is considered discrimination.
Beyond its anti-abortion stance, the conference’s namesake and many of its speakers actively support causes that are anti-LGBTQ+. Cardinal O’Connor opposed legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community and AIDS prevention programs that would have saved the lives of many queer people. In the same vein, this year’s keynote speaker, Jeanne Mancini, has ties to the Family Research Council, which was classified as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Georgetown students cannot feel safe or supported in an environment that prioritizes the voices of those promoting hate and discrimination. Georgetown’s guiding Jesuit principle of cura personalis highlights care for all Hoyas and “distinct respect for his or her circumstances.” Funding this conference proves that the university does not truly respect the lives and circumstances of LGBTQ+ people or those whose rights would be put at risk by anti-abortion legislation.
All people should have a right to life, health and freedom from violence and discrimination. Supporters of the “pro-life” movement ignore the lives of those who are denied abortions and forced to undergo pregnancy, sometimes at the expense of their own health. In advocating against abortion, they effectively convey that a pregnant person’s life and bodily autonomy come second to an aggregate of cells that has the potential to create a child.
Further, abortion bans disproportionately affect those who are already members of marginalized communities. People already discriminated against because of income, immigration status, sexuality, race and gender expression have less accessibility to legal services or private care. Limiting reproductive rights interferes with people’s livelihoods, education and careers, making those who are denied abortions more likely to be impoverished and stuck in abusive relationships.
Limiting abortion also only stops safe abortions. A 2017 study found that there is no significant difference between the abortion rate in countries that prohibit abortion or broadly allow it, and complications of unsafe abortions make up the third leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Put simply, when safe abortions are restricted, more pregnant people will die. Those who support the lives of people with uteruses should recognize the vitality of providing essential medical services.
HFC seeks to protect the lives and well-being of all people by providing sex education and contraception to all, despite not receiving any university funding or recognition. This most recent protest exemplified HFC’s commitment to reproductive justice, ensuring that people are allowed to access abortions “free of political interference and shame.”
HFC was specifically protesting the use of university funds for this event, which directly goes against the beliefs of many Hoyas. According to HFC’s 2020 petition and 2022 no donation pledge, over 600 members of the Georgetown community are opposed to the conference. This event, and similar uses of university funding and facilities that provide prominent platforms to hateful individuals, creates an unsafe environment for Georgetown students like me. It is difficult to feel safe, valued and respected on a campus that does not support my rights.
The protest made me feel proud to be a part of the Georgetown community. I firmly believe that fighting hate and supporting my fellow Hoyas are some of the most important applications of Georgetown’s Jesuit values.
Georgetown should promote the safety and well-being of all of its students, not only those who resemble its founders and president. As Georgetown students, it is our job to hold the university accountable and ensure that the funds that come directly from our tuition are used for causes that align with our values.
Micaeli Dym is a first-year student in the School of Foreign Service.
