Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

H*yas for Choice Launches 5th Annual Choice Week

A7_hoyasforchoice_forthehoyaAllieFrieH*yas for Choice began its fifth annual Choice Week yesterday, aiming to cultivate a sex-positive culture on campus through a series of discussions throughout the week.

The events for this week include talks from women’s rights attorney and Georgetown Law graduate Sandra Fluke (LAW ’12), who testified to House Oversight Committee Democrats in 2012 on the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Inc. CEO Laura Meyers will speak on the impact of President Donald Trump’s election on the organization Tuesday, while Casa Latina is hosting an event on reproductive justice in the Latinx community.

“This year more than ever, we feel having events that destigmatize abortion, emphasize the intersecting identities of Georgetown community members, and create optimism in the face of virulently anti-choice politics and state-sanctioned hatred is imperative to creating supportive, compassionate, and inspired communities,” HFC said in a statement sent to The Hoya.

While the speakers and larger themes vary from year to year, according to H*yas for Choice Co-President Emily Stephens (SFS ’17), the Abortion Story Share-Out has been a foundational component of Choice Week since its inception. In the share-out, HFC members read stories of experiences with abortion submitted anonymously by members of the Georgetown community.

According to Stephens, the event is inspired by the 1 in 3 Campaign, in reference to the statistic that one in three women has an abortion at some point in her life.

“The only way to reduce the stigma surrounding abortion is to talk about it openly, and we hope reading these stories will empower other students to speak up about their own experiences, and inspire everyone to continue advocating for safe, legal, and accessible abortion,” Stephens wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Stephens said Choice Week events are designed to create a comfortable and inclusive environment.

“Our abortion story share is typically a more intimate affair, and our event on Thursday is also deliberately small, to hold space for people in the Latinx community who wrestle with their Catholic/Christian identity and reproductive justice issues, to share their views in a small, community setting,” Stephens wrote.

Stephens said Choice Week allows students to participate in dialogue around issues often overlooked by the university administration.

“If these events are not put on by students, they will not happen at all,” Stephens said. “That’s disappointing and unfortunate, because the vast majority of students on campus are pro-choice and pro-reproductive justice, and their views are not represented by the Georgetown administration. We fill in that gap.”

Kate Toner (NHS ’20), who is a member of H*yas for Choice, said the week is an opportunity for students to increase their awareness on the dialogue surrounding health issues.

“Choice Week is integral in destigmatizing a lot of issues that are becoming increasingly more relevant and important, especially in the context of our newly elected government,” Toner said. “As of now there is a lot of public contempt toward abortion, but I think if people hear the personal reasoning behind why a woman chooses to get an abortion, it could create a more supportive culture and decrease those negative feelings.”

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  • S

    Sherman RobertsApr 2, 2017 at 5:43 pm

    Some objective, humble advice for the wise: Abortion (Choice is a smokescreen) kills human life (scientifically proven) and is a Mortal Sin, which deeply and seriously offends God, and cuts one off from union with Him!

    Is GU still a Catholic University? The Magisterium (teaching authority of the Church) always trumps whatever the Jesuits may condone on campus. Is there no belief in morality and grievous sin on campus anymore? Being a faithful Christian is an all or nothing proposition. Jesus said He would spit out those who are lukewarm.

    I realize GU has a diverse campus, however the fundamentals of the natural moral law, the infallible Bible (which came from the Catholic Church), and the infallible teachings of the Catholic Church in faith and morals must be actively taught on/off campus to establish a solid foundation for young minds, whose most important goal in life needs to be a holy relationship with God (our Creator, Redeemer, & Lover).

    What I write is Truth for the salvation of souls. Here are some enlightening articles for understanding truth (which is never relative like in relativism), and the evils of abortion.

    https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/judge-not-doesnt-mean-ignore-evil
    https://www.catholic.com/tract/abortion
    https://www.priestsforlife.org/articles/4376-the-bibles-teaching-against-abortion
    https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/freedom-in-truth

    Sincerely,

    Sherman Roberts, College ’65

    Reply
  • S

    SFS 2016Mar 30, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    The alternative facts are strong wth ths post, especially the completely bogus claim 1/3 women have an abortion.

    Reply
  • A

    Alt Right HoyaMar 28, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    Did we recently have a Jesuit heritage week? Interesting, I didn’t see any coverage about it in the Hoya.

    So much for fair, impartial, and objective reporting.

    Reply