• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By India Lacey, Quelam Tran-Perez Features, News and FeaturesOctober 10, 2021

Wellesley for Life Facebook Post Sparks Controversy

Wellesley for Life (WFL) leaders advertised their organization through a post on the Wellesley College Class of 2025 Facebook group on Friday, Sept. 10th, just over a week before the College’s 2021 Orgs Fair. However, according to the post creator, Grace Park ’24, the  anti-abortion group received some backlash in the comments section, especially involving its timing just one week after the passing of Senate Bill 8 in Texas, which effectively banned abortions in the state. 

 

WFL is fairly new to campus; on Nov. 23, 2020, the group’s Facebook page announced their approval to be an official Wellesley College student organization, stating, “We are so proud to be a part of a community that welcomes and embraces a diversity of perspectives.” 

 

In the past, the org has hosted guest speakers like Abigail Young, who is the New English regional coordinator of students for life of America and has welcomed anyone to attend meetings or join the organization itself, regardless of their stance on abortion. Both presidents, Faodice Bishaze ’23 and Lizzie Um ’23, declined to be interviewed for the article, citing the organization’s recent creation. Many members of the Wellesley community, however, do not view the organization as welcoming. Sophia Meier ’22, one of the first people to comment on the WFL Sept. 10 post, explained how she felt when she first heard about the group’s existence in Fall 2020. 

 

“I was … shocked and so surprised that we had a group like that on this campus, because everyone that I had ever encountered here had been vehemently pro-abortion,” Meier said. 

 

Similarly, fellow student and commenter Linh Dieu ’25 reacted with “disheartened” feelings. While Dieu respected the org’s “open[ness] to conversation,” she identified an area of concern.

 

“I fear that the org’s presence on campus, especially bringing in speakers for their seminars, … could trigger some members of our community if they have had … personal experiences with abortions — even if these meetings are on an opt-in basis,” Dieu said.

 

Alexandra Brooks ’23, another commenter who identified this concern, described feeling “outrage” when she saw the group’s Facebook post.

 

“The fact that [WFL] is allowed to exist on this campus is incredibly harmful … to a lot of Wellesley students … because [WFL]’s whole purpose as an org, same with the pro-life movement, is to control and police other people’s bodies, regardless of how many floral graphic designs you make,” Brooks said. 

 

The debate surrounding abortion has been controversial in American politics since the Supreme Court handed down their landmark decision for Roe v. Wade in 1973. 

 

Taken from the Quickening Doctrine, abortion was a common and completely legal practice at any time before fetal movement is felt by the pregnant person. Any abortions performed after this period, (known as “the quickening”) were merely considered misdemeanors. 

 

Most abortions and other pregnancy-related medical practices were performed by midwives, effectively removing (male) doctors from the field altogether. In an attempt to obtain absolute authority in the medicinal field over competing healers, physicians began lobbying for anti-abortion laws, which were enacted in every single state by the year 1900. 

 

The anti-abortion movement quickly garnered attention by small groups of Catholics, but with the law on their side, there wasn’t much incentive left to attract newcomers to the crusade. 

 

Although the anti-abortion movement wasn’t founded on religious ideology, it quickly became synonymous with more fundamentalist sects of Christianity. The aftermath of Roe v. Wade solidified this connection, as the faces of the newly rebranded pro-life movement were those of Christian leaders, including the Catholic pope following the decision, Pope John Paul II. 

 

Today, the debate continues to be drawn along religious lines, which as Meier said, “toys this line of religious freedom … There are many religions where abortion is an acceptable thing.”

 

Even in light of such a polarizing issue, every commenter emphasized their commitment to respecting the beliefs of everyone in the community. But at the end of the day they still felt the need to speak out, as Dieu explained, she feels she must persist in her response to the movement.

 

“I must continue to advocate for my rights as a human being, as a person who relies on reproductive healthcare, as a person who could get pregnant, and as a person who may need such services in the future … not only for me, but for the people I care about and those around me,” Dieu said.

Correction 11/4/21: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Grace Park ’24 was the co-president of Wellesley for Life, along with Lizzie Um ’23. Park is not the co-president but the publicity chair.

Tags

abortionstudent organizationwellesley for life

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleWellesley Senior Pushes for Female Representation in the world of Chinese Math
Next articleWellesley experiences campus-wide power, WiFi outage

You may also like

The Wellesley (COVID) 100

In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays

Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top