Pro-abstinence group pushed out of ‘SEXPO’
A group of University of Pittsburgh students trying to buck the college “hook-up” culture believes it has the right to peacefully distribute abstinence brochures near a sex education expo run by students in the Litchfield Towers lobby.
But on Monday, a university official told the chastity advocates, all members of the Pittsburgh Anscombe Society, that they had to move out of the lobby.
Now the society is casting the disagreement as a free speech issue. A school official, however, said that it is not a recognized campus organization and is not allowed to solicit in the lobby. The society applied for recognition before winter break but hasn’t received it yet.
The expo is sponsored by PantherWELL, a peer health education program housed in Pitt’s Office of Health Education and Promotion. In the past year, according to its website, PantherWELL has organized anti-smoking, alcohol awareness and sexual responsibility programs.
PantherWELL was using Facebook to promote this week’s sex education series, or SEXPO, addressing such topics as safe sex, condoms, lubricants and healthy relationships.
The Facebook page caught the eye of Joseph Petrich, 18, a Pitt freshman from Seattle. He is president and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Anscombe Society, named after Gertrude Elizabeth Anscombe, a 20th-century Irish-born philosopher and Roman Catholic convert who made religious and secular arguments in favor of abstinence outside of marriage. The first chapter was formed in 2005 at Princeton University. There are now about 15 on college campuses.
Pitt student groups may set up information and recruiting tables on campus. But lacking official status, Mr. Petrich said, six members stood on the other side of the Litchfield Towers dorm lobby on Monday, passing out literature and white paper flowers to counter what he labeled the “pro-promiscuity” event.
“We were very peaceful and not in anyone’s way,” he said.
He said someone from PantherWELL called police, who came and told them to move outside the lobby, and they complied. The next day, housing official Rosemary Natale sent an e-mail to Mr. Petrich saying no one is allowed to stand in the lobby leafleting because it impedes traffic. She suggested they get Students for Life to sponsor them and reserve a table, pending official recognition.
But Mr. Petrich noted that the student code of conduct allows “peaceful, orderly and nondestructive” protests and demonstrations as long as they don’t break the law or interfere with the educational process or the rights of others.
No one from the university responded to requests for comment.
Mr. Petrich said his group would “continue our campaign to promote the benefits of abstinence to both individuals and society” each remaining day of the expo. The expo is scheduled to run through Friday, but it was not present in the lobby Wednesday. Mr. Petrich said his group passed out literature unimpeded and got more than 100 students to sign a pledge to be chaste this weekend.
“We’re just saying try it for a few days,” Mr. Petrich said. “You might find guys respecting you more, and guys might find themselves respecting women more.”
The local abstinence chapter started last semester and has about 20 members, he said. A news release says they promote “the benefits of abstinence devoid of any religious affiliation, in favor of using scientific and philosophical arguments” to make the case.
“We’re happy with what we’re doing now,” he said, “but should we become certified as an official group, we’d love to set up a table and promote our information that way.”
Found here.
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“But Mr. Petrich noted that the student code of conduct allows “peaceful, orderly and nondestructive” protests and demonstrations as long as they don’t break the law or interfere with the educational process or the rights of others.”
But the group wasn’t really protesting anything. They just wanted to pass out their literature. So this is really a nothing story. The group violated school policy and, for safety reasons, was escorted (not “pushed out”) of the lobby. Besides, the next day, the group and the school reached an agreement and the group was allowed a presence.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11042/1124651-53.stm
See how things work out when you follow proper procedures?
Mark,
The quote from the article was not from the student Code of Conduct, which allows for the free dissemination of ideas in print as well. This is just one of the inaccuracies from that first article in the Post-Gazette.
Your assertion that things worked out later because we followed proper procedure is also inaccurate. The only reason we were granted a meeting with the Dean was because of all the press coverage that resulted from the university’s denial of our rights. Of course, we had no vendetta against the university, and they none against us, so we were able to work out our differences and come to a mutually acceptable agreement.
There is also little doubt that our certification process, which had been delayed for two months was hurried along by this episode. We are now officially partnering with Student Health Services to provide abstinence education. That was our only goal at the start of all this, and it was accomplished – without following “proper” procedure.
Universities so often will find ways to bar groups that promote abstinence, pro-life issues and the like, more often by dishonest ways. Not surprising that newspapers would not report this accurately.
Joseph, you are awesome! Keep up the good work!
@Joseph Petrich
I’m curious: since you wanted to participate, why did you not sign up initially or ask to distribute your material?
@Joseph Petrich
Do you read this blog or did you only drop in to attempt to justify your actions?
Hmm, guess I’ll just have to assume that Joseph and his ilk didn’t want to initially follow the rules and instead, wanted to crash a planned event. That way they could act all victimized. Sad.