University Women's Center Censors Pro-Life Viewpoint, Student Says
by Jim Brown
March 23, 2004
(AgapePress) - The University of North Carolina Women's Center is being accused of repeatedly attempting to silence a student-led pro-life and women's health group on campus.The UNC Women's Center claims to promote "diversity of thought" and "equality." However, according to Stephanie Evans, who heads Carolina Students for Life (CSFL), nothing could be farther from the truth.
Evans says her group's request to provide speakers for UNC "Women's Week" was denied, even though the Carolina Women's Center asked several pro-abortion groups to co-sponsor the event. Moreover, CSFL's leader says the center also refused to post a link to the pro-life group's website, despite the fact that Choice USA, the pro-abortion group on campus, is already linked to the center's website.
The spokesperson for the pro-life student group says this discrimination is not only a fairness issue, but a funding issue. "When a university organization that is funded by taxpayer dollars takes a position on such a hotly politicized public debate, it's just not their duty. Their duty as an organization here on campus is to represent all of the women. They just can't take such a pro-abortion stand," Evans says.
And that the Women's Center takes such a stance while discriminating against those whose disagree with it is a charge that the pro-life student can document.
"Since CSFL has been in existence -- we started our group last year -- [the Women's Center officials] have never sponsored a pro-life speaker that we have brought to campus," she says. Evans also notes that she has viewed the Women's Week programs going back three years and found that in all that time "there has never been, specifically, a pro-life event."
The head of the student group says she is not asking the Center to take a pro-life stand, but rather to represent all women on campus by including both sides of the abortion debate. Evans says if UNC fails to require the Women's Center to keep its pledge to promote diversity of thought and equality, CSFL may be forced to file a lawsuit.
