Hampshire University, which began as an experiment in alternative education in the 1970s — a decade marked by drugs and the sexual revolution — is differentiating itself once again with a controversial conference on reproductive rights.
In other words — the conference has a pro-abortion agenda.
With a student population of a mere 1,300, Hampshire University has decided to host a three-day conference on reproductive justice called “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building the Movement for Reproductive Freedom,” in early to mid-April.
An event called “Breaking Silences: An Abortion Speak Out” will kick off the “festivities” on Friday, April 11, on the university’s campus in Amherst, Massachusetts.
But this is hardly worth celebrating. “It’s disturbing that a college-sponsored conference is dedicated to not only pushing a radical pro-abortion agenda, but also stigmatizing anyone who is pro-life,” said Lila Rose, the founder and president of the Washington, D.C.-based Live Action. Rose is a fervent advocate for the dignity and life of all human beings.
“Colleges shouldn’t alienate and create a hostile environment for pro-life members of the student body. But this is the true face of the abortion movement: hostility toward the preborn child and toward anyone who disagrees with them,” Rose told LifeZette in an interview.
Among the nearly 70 workshops on the conference agenda are “How to Fight the Right” and “Talking with Conservative Family and Friends about Abortion” — a clear dig at those with traditional family values.
Other offerings include “Reproductive Justice 101” and “Queering Reproductive Justice,” according to the conference schedule.
Sadly, reproductive rights have now joined the ever-growing list of social justice causes and are getting lots of play on college campuses with left-leaning agendas.
In January, a bill that would require California universities to provide medication-based abortions through student health centers passed the state Senate — which could make it the first state to provide this offering through universities. That same bill also declared abortion a constitutional right, according to The Daily Tar Heel, the student newspaper at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Additionally, LifeZette recently reported that the University of Arizona’s (UA) Women’s Center is also urging college students to fight for “reproductive justice,” by joining the school’s Planned Parenthood club.
Recently released annual reports from Planned Parenthood — the nation’s largest abortion provider— noted that 321,384 abortions were performed in 2016-2017. Since 2006, the number of abortions by the behemoth provider has increased by nearly 11 percent annually.
Related: Planned Parenthood Wants a ‘Disney Princess Who Has Had an Abortion’
The reproductive rights conference at Hampshire University, meanwhile, is being organized by the Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP) program. The national reproductive rights and justice organization is dedicated to educating, mentoring, and inspiring new generations of advocates, leaders and supporters, according to its website.
LifeZette reached out to the CLPP program for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Elizabeth Economou is a former CNBC staff writer and adjunct professor. Follow her on Twitter.
(photo credit, homepage image: Photo of the Hampshire College Library, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Jared and Corin; photo credit, article image: Hampshire College, CC BY-SA 3.0, by Jared Benedict)
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