We, the students of the Gender Studies Student Organization, were disturbed by the glossy insert folded inside of last week’s The Free Press, titled,”Think Outside of the Box.” The box we are trapped in, according to the 12 page advertising supplement, is women’s access to reproductive rights. This insert, created by The Human Life Alliance, a conservative anti-choice group, contains very little in the way of legitimate medical information concerning pregnancy or reproductive rights, primarily relying on catch phrases designed to elicit knee jerk emotional responses. Among other things, the insert downplays the incidences of women’s deaths as a result of illegal abortion before Roe vs. Wade, claims abortion is merely a tool for racial genocide, insists rape and incest victims who choose to end their pregnancies are perpetuating the same cycle of violence which victimized them, and warns women if they choose to get abortions, they may suffer the consequences of an increased risk for both breast and cervical cancer. The insert relies on extreme emotional manipulation to spread wildly inaccurate medical information-which has now been circulated to almost 3000 USM students.
The Gender Studies Student Organization recognizes and validates the importance of free speech as protected by the first amendment; in no way do we want to see ideas and visions censored merely because they do not reflect our own. However, as The Free Press is a public student funded newspaper, we are concerned about the ethical implications of allowing such a politically biased insert to be circulated. Last April, the Gender Studies Student Organization, a BSO recognized student group affiliated with the USM Women’s Studies Program, worked together with Planned Parenthood to send USM Students to “The March for Women’s Lives” in Washington DC, a rally to protect women’s reproductive rights. Last year’s G.S.S.O. treasurer, Erin Brown, asked the Free Press if she could submit a short article before the event, to let the USM community know about the demonstration, and to invite students to participate. The Free Press told Erin no; she was told to print an article that took a pro-choice position was too politically biased, and it would be unfair and unethical towards other USM students for such a controversial topic be the subject of a Free Press article. A top USM student, active in the USM community and deeply committed to USM’s students was denied a voice in the Free Press; yet, a vehemently biased political organization with no affiliation with our community whatsoever was able to buy its way into our newspaper, and spread its agenda all over campus. Speech is free here at USM apparently only when you pay for it.
The G.S.S.O. feels reproductive rights are key to women’s equality; the fact that the Free Press accepted payment for this latest insert is not surprising, as this is only one of many anti-woman, homophobic and racist public statements made by our student paper. One example is a lack of using self-imposed regulations, such as gender neutral language. In the Letter From the Editor in the March 14th issue when speaking about all senators the article stated “rather than shooting off his mouth.” Another example is the offensive Achewood comic strip which ran from October 13th 2003 to May 3rd, 2004. And the latest, the cover story about student elections which showed a picture of a plastic figure in a turban stating “Zanzibar for Senate.” There was never anyone named Zanzibar running for student senate. This was also in the March 11th issue. If this paper is truly concerned with providing a forum that is fair, accessible, and representative for all students, marginalizing certain political views, while promoting others, and continuing to use sexist language and humor after scores of complaints from students and faculty alike is certainly not going to accomplish this goal.
Again, we support the exercise of free speech; but we are upset that only certain groups or views are granted this right on campus. Where does one draw the line? This insert was filled with medical misinformation-would The Free Press be willing to accept payment for a flyer that was announcing that martians had found the cure for cancer and were sending it to Maine? Is free speech only available to us if we pay for it? Not only should our student paper-which is funded by your student activity money-strive to represent all views and news on campus, but it should be held accountable for what it prints. This advertisement was accepted by The Free Press without ever being previewed, and was inserted into each and every paper, with no questions asked. Is this what The Free Press considers responsible journalism and editing?
The Gender Students Organization will be having a day long event, titled “Pro-Choice or No Choice: A Rally for Human Rights” on Tuesday, April 26th, with an information table from 10 to 1 on the lawn in front of Luther Bonney, with sign making and T-shirt painting, a march from 1 to 2 around the Portland campus, culminating in a speak out from 2 to 3 on the lawn, or in the amphitheater if the weather turns foul. We want to provide a forum for students to come together to speak about this highly contentious issue, regardless of their position; we want to assure USM students there is a supportive feminist community in which they can feel safe and turn to for resources and information, and we want to make sure students have medically accurate information about reproductive rights, pregnancy and parenting so they can make informed and responsible choices about their bodies and their lives.