This past Wednesday, I was part of a group of ralliers that gathered to express our concern at the STOP Stupak Speak Out held in the Wexner Center Plaza on Ohio State University's campus. Read the OSU Lantern's coverage of the event here. Many of us were from feminist groups on campus and a few professors joined us too- which was amazing! We gathered because we are ardently opposed to the eleventh hour addition of the Stupak amendment to the House healthcare reform bill. And we also don't want a likewise anti-choice amendment being added to the Senate healthcare reform bill- or any of the same in the final bill. I feel that anti-choice language is not only morally wrong but also an overt way to control women's reproductive organs. It seems that women's bodies are always used as a gambling chip and we need to tell our legislators that this is NOT OK. We held the speak out to inform other students of this antic-choice language being successfully added to the House bill and to collect signatures for the anti-Stupak amendment petiton.

The day itself was not a great day to have a speak out as it was rainy and very COLD (and the last week before finals to boot) BUT we were still going to make our voices heard. We shouted some chants, held up posters, got signatures for the petition all whilest passing out condoms. The reaction to the speak out seemed pretty positive and several cars driving by honked their support. The Lantern (OSU's paper) came by and gave us some great coverage too. It was awesome to have the chance to talk to female AND male students about the implications of this amendment and to hear that most of them supported what we were doing. And some OSU maintenance workers were clearing up leaves near us and a bunch of them came over to sign the petition! They were there to do their job but then became interested in what we were doing. It’s so encouraging to see people walking by, caught up in their own world, suddenly stop and decide to stand up against something that will adversely affect millions of lives. I really feel that voting can be great way to make your voice heard BUT there are other means such as rallies, speak outs, petitions, phonebanking, and canvassing that can be extremely effective as well.



-Elizabeth