Since before the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Students for a Democratic Society has been organizing on campus to protect and expand women’s and reproductive rights. We have organized marches, rallies, call-ins and more to demand immediate action from University administration, yet you so far have ignored our demands.
President Joan Gabel, when Roe v. Wade was overturned, you made a statement outlining the resources available on campus, like we had called for, but you, as well as those of you on the Board of Regents, have on the whole remained unresponsive to students’ demands on this issue. The University of Minnesota has a responsibility to stand up for women’s and reproductive rights, and to use its resources to expand them on our campus and in the state.
The state of Minnesota only has eight abortion clinics and has countless so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” (which do not, in fact, provide access to resources and care, but manipulate people into not getting abortions, some even promote “abortion reversal” pills, which aren’t based in science), with one just a light rail stop away from campus called First Care Pregnancy Center. This being said, it is imperative an institution with the University’s resources, one of the largest medical providers in the state, take action to expand access to these needed resources.
To protect and expand women’s and reproductive rights on our campus, we are demanding: the establishment of a Reproductive Rights Advocacy Center, which would be akin to the Aurora Center but provide support and resources for those seeking to access reproductive care such as abortions and STD testing; the creation of a reproductive health module for incoming freshman orientation; boycotting by the University of big-ticket events in states with restrictive heartbeat bill abortion bans to put greater pressure on states restricting these rights; and establishing an abortion clinic on every University campus.
This issue and these demands resonate greatly with the University’s students, shown alone by the 10,000 people who joined us to protest the overturning of Roe in June, but also by the continued support students have shown of this campaign throughout the past semester. If you claim to care at all for the interests of students, campus workers, community members and for reproductive justice at the University, then you have the duty to act immediately. We demand you, Gabel and the Board of Regents, meet with us to negotiate the implementation of our demands on campus.
Warmest Regards,
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society is a multi-issue grassroots student activist organization that seeks to mobilize students to fight for their rights on campus and beyond, with a current focus on advancing women’s and reproductive rights. For students interested in hearing more about this campaign, follow us on Instagram: @umnsds
Mira Altobell-Resendez
Dec 19, 2022 at 4:53 pm
I’ve been a taxpayer since I was 17 years old and would rather my money go to funding the abortions of strangers who have lots of sex than funding CPCs, genocide, and mass incarceration.
Mira Altobell-Resendez
Dec 19, 2022 at 4:48 pm
One of the major things I’ve learned during my time at the U is how little administration and apparently some community members care for the wellbeing of us students, sometimes to the point of throwing tantrums in the comment sections of multiple postings by SDS members :^)
lostoncampus
Dec 19, 2022 at 4:30 pm
“To protect and expand women’s and reproductive rights on our campus, we are demanding:”
#1 – Who are you to DEMAND anything, from anyone?What grants you special privilege? You are a bunch of students, at a campus meant for Learning. Get to it.
#2- Run on Run on Run on sentences should have been cured in about 8th grade. practice, practice, practice – your wandering paragraph sentences point to a distracted “mind”
lostoncampus
Dec 19, 2022 at 4:25 pm
“The University of Minnesota has a
responsibility to stand up for women’s and reproductive rights, and to
use its resources to expand them on our campus and in the state”
Sorry NO- the U OF MN has NO BUSINESS in YOUR abortions
Take responsibility for YOUR actions- stop demanding the TAXPAYER (which YOU ARE NOT) pay for it.