Carleton University students approve anti-abortion club
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 | 10:07 AM ET
CBC News
An anti-abortion group at Carleton University has officially been approved as a student club despite a new policy that bans using student council resources for anti-abortion activity.
Representatives from 32 other clubs and associations seeking student council approval at the university voted by an overwhelming majority Tuesday night to recognize Carleton Lifeline as a student club, making it eligible for funding from the Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA).
Carleton Lifeline president Sarah Fletcher said she was surprised by the approval, but thinks it means the new discrimination policy is open to interpretation.
"Basically, we're just going to function as a club and see what happens," she said.
Te-Anna Bailey, programming co-ordinator for CUSA's clubs and societies office, said the approval is based on the mandatory paperwork submitted by the club and a short summary of the club's mission statement presented at the meeting.
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CUSA motion passed Dec. 5, 2006: "CUSA further affirms that actions such as any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying effort, display, event, etc., that seeks to limit or remove a woman's right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported. As such, no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding will be allocated for this purpose." |
She added that whether those things conflict with the student council discrimination policy is a separate issue.
"I've been here for four years, and I've never seen a club denied certification at a certification meeting," she said.
However, she added that any Carleton student may complain to the office if he or she believes the club is discriminating against some students. In that case, the clubs office will investigate and the club will have the opportunity to remedy the situation.
The student council changed its discrimination policy in December to ban the use of its space, resources and recognition for any activity "that seeks to limit or remove a woman's right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy."
The policy was proposed after an on-campus abortion debate organized by Carleton Lifeline, where some students complained they had been harassed.
However, Bailey and other student council spokespeople say the policy was not targeted at any particular group.
According to the Carleton Lifeline's website, the club's goal is to "promote the support and protection of human life from conception to natural death."
Its activities include organizing talks about fetal development and the risks of abortion, as well as fundraising and volunteering for crisis pregnancy centres.
