Lakehead University Silences Pro-Life Students

A step further…

The Lakehead University Student Union has voted to “declare itself to be a pro-choice organization” and to ban pro-life student voices on campus. After a vote to deny the pro-life club, Lakehead University Life Support, their right to exist as a recognized club on January 10th, they have now gone a step further to ensure that the pro-life students will be silenced. The emergency Board of Directors meeting was called on Monday, January 21st .

Earlier that day, Matt Granville, VP Finance of LUSU, is quoted in the Chronicle Journal, “If (Life Support) showed up with enough students that were interested they could reinstate themselves as a club”. He suggested that 50 students at the Annual General Meeting in favour of LULS being a club would require the LUSU to ratify them. The AGM is scheduled for Wednesday, January 30th.

Granville then made the motion that evening which defines pro-choice as, “the recognition that every woman has the right to security of their own person and self-determination in all realms of life, especially when addressing reproductive rights held by women”.

The motion concludes by saying, “Be it Further Resolved that the Lakehead University student union withhold any and all funds, space, resources and services within its control from any group, either on or off campus, and regardless of membership composition (student or non-student) if that group holds any aim, principle, belief, goal, etc. that is anti-choice in nature, explicit or implicit.”

“This is another example of the LUSU using their power to dictate who may enjoy the freedom of expression and speech on campus, and who is deemed inferior because of their beliefs,” notes Cathy Simons, president of LULS, “Despite the fact that my student union is actively making sure not to represent me and many other students, we are prepared to challenge their decision which is censoring students they do not agree with.”

Theresa Matters, Executive Director of National Campus Life Network explains, “Despite similar efforts to silence pro-life students at Carleton University in 2006, national public outcry ensured their freedom of speech was upheld and Carleton Lifeline has existed as a club since early 2007. We are confident that if Canada is truly a place where diversity of opinion is celebrated LU Life Support will exist as an official club.”

Contact Information
Life support:
Cathy Simons: csimons@lakeheadu.ca (807) 627-6653
Francisco Gomez: fjgomezj@lakeheadu.ca (807)472-1668

National Campus Life Network
Theresa Matters, Executive Director: director@ncln.ca (905) 630-7271