Administrators at the University of Idaho have enacted restrictions designed to prevent pro-life students from expressing their views on a blog for the university’s Women’s Center.
According to Students for Life, the director of the Women’s Center at the public University of Idaho recently removed a blog post written by pro-life student Victoria Dilone because it challenged the center’s views on abortion and birth control. Even though the blogs are student-written and designed to foster discussion and debate, Dilone was informed that her views were too challenging of the center’s pro-abortion mindset.
“On more than one occasion, your personal views have been in direct conflict with one of the fundamental principles and tenets of feminism — that of choice,” wrote Lysa Salsbury, the director of the Women’s Center. “Your article is not only not congruent with the Women’s Center’s views on the topic, it directly challenges them. As such, we cannot publish it. I’m sorry.”
Salsbury also informed Dilone that she would not be permitted to promote her event with Catholic theologian Bill Donaghy, claiming that because she perceived Donaghy to belong to an organization with views that do not align with the Women’s Center, they did not want to advertise the event.
“Please delete this. This individual has views and belongs to an organization that does not support the LGBTQIA community,” wrote Salsbury. “We are not advertising this event on the blog.”
Even though the university claims to be supportive of free speech and women’s empowerment, it seems to have no issue with suppressing the speech of women whose political and moral views may not align with its own. Even though she said that she had made her views clear to the director of the Women’s Center, Dilone was disappointed the university would shape the debate on abortion in a way that prevents pro-life views from being expressed.
“When I applied to the Center, I was upfront that I was active in the Students for Life group, and no one raised an issue then,” Dilone said. “It’s unfortunate that the Women’s Center has decided that feminism means we can’t debate issues like birth control or how to best help women. I will continue to share my beliefs and won’t be intimidated.”
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
