• Photo Credit (top left corner): Megan Verhey
• Photo Credit (below article): Megan Verhey
• Article written by: Kelsey Rideout
• Article published in: The Ontarion 164.11 (March 31st 2011)
• Article appears on page 5

Kelsey Rideout
On Monday, March 28, the University Centre was once again filled with a specific kind of imagery. Numerous display booths showing month-by-month pictures of unborn infants and an interactive stand with 4D ultrasound photos were meant to reiterate one student club’s most central message: life begins at conception. 

For Hanna Barlow, Life Choice president and second-year Physics student, the day was meant to prompt discussion and openly inform students about the options they have aside from abortion.
“Today is very much about education and conversation with people,” said Barlow. “We’re showing people development from conception onwards.  Already today, I’ve had wonderful conversations with people. I really love it when people are willing to have the conversation and debate…That’s my favourite part about today.”

Barlow was reluctant to describe the event as “anti-choice.”

“I don’t think the word anti-choice really applies. We’re not saying the mother has no rights, we’re not saying women don’t deserve the choice. What we’re saying is think about the fact that women have rights, I’m a woman, I know I have rights, but if you believe that the child within you is a human person, then it has rights too, by nature of its humanity. I think it’s more of a message of respecting the life that you have,” said Barlow.

As is the case every year, the ideas Barlow and other Life Choice supporters promoted did not sit well with everyone. Several individuals quickly assembled a pro-choice booth in order to provide a different outlet for the student body.

Anastasia Zavarella, the CSA’s Local Affairs Commissioner, described why she helped in putting together the pro-choice display with the support of the CSA, the Wellness Centre and other community groups.

“I’m here to distribute information that is going to correct any kind of misunderstandings that students might pick up from the other displays, and to distribute pro-choice resources…There isn’t just one side of the story, there’s another presence on campus and people who care about the right to choose and value it,” she said.

Zavarella explained her major concerns over the imagery and information that was being disseminated by Life Choice.

“I think my primary concern is that it could be really triggering for people. The general sense that I get is that abortion is a difficult thing to do, both on your body and it can be a very emotional decision and a stressful time in your life, especially since the resources and the accessibility of abortion is so difficult…Then to have displays like this, that kind of drive home those messages [that] this is something you should feel guilty about, this is something you should feel ashamed of, that you’ve made the wrong decision. That’s kind of my primary concern, [that] the students who have had abortions, or who are pro-choice, feel isolated and made to feel guilty and ashamed of who they are and the experiences that they’ve had,” explained Zavarella.

Additionally, Zavarella was worried that the event was simplifying a complex and sensitive issue.

“What are the resources you have to care for the child? Is this something that is right for you? Is the pregnancy a result of a sexual assault or incest? There’s so many other things that go into this,” explained Zavarella.

Barlow was asked to describe her thoughts over the circumstances in which women become pregnant, including sexual assault.

“I can’t think of anything quite as horrible as that…But if you actually talk to women who are in those circumstances, it surprised me that a lot of them say ‘I wanted to have my child, it was part of the healing process.’ Some of them say having an abortion was like a second rape. They were violated a second time.”

Some students may remember the controversy that occurred in 2009, when Life Choice was temporarily disaccredited after their “Life Fair” event sparked controversy and fueled concerns that women were being attacked.

Barlow, however, emphasized her support for women who have undergone abortions and reiterated that this year’s event was meant to establish a respectful dialogue.

“I know women who have had abortions and it’s not an easy thing,” said Barlow. “It’s something that stays with you. I think it’s so important to educate people about it…I’m very sympathetic towards those women. I understand that they’re carrying pain with them. The last thing I want to do is make it worse for them.”

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