A pro-choice campaign titled “Never Go Back” will be presented tonight on the BU campus by the Feminist Majority Foundation to educate students about the threat currently facing legalized abortion.
The campaign, being held in the College of General Studies room 511 at 6:30 p.m., will discuss several political issues and their importance to the abortion questions.
One of the main issues on the table is the possible shift of the 5-4 pro-choice margin of judges on the Supreme Court. With possible Supreme Court appointments upcoming from President Bush, the margin could shift to the pro-life side.
Women’s rights leader Eleanor Smeal, former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy, Massachusetts state Senator Dianne Wilkerson and Pam Nourse, the vice president of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, will all be speaking at the event.
The campaign, stopping at BU as part of a 12-city tour, is named “Never Go Back” because the creators said they hope their efforts will ensure women will never again have to resort to having unsafe abortions.
The organization will support the Save Roe filibuster, named after the milestone case, Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion 30 years ago. They will be discussing how the filibuster will work at the event and the situations in which it can be effective.
The foundation’s goal is to focus on the U.S. Senate, which has the power to reject or approve nominees to the Supreme Court. Although 51 senators, or the majority of the Senate, are needed to defeat a nominee, only 41 senators are needed to uphold a filibuster that could block pro-life nominees.
Colden Ray, the president of the BU Women’s Center, said she believes this campaign will explain what can be done about this issue and what actions need to be taken in order to make sure the Roe v. Wade decision is not overturned.
“The goal is to educate the public on how important it is to pressure their senators to do this,” Ray said. “Abortions may not always be legal and accessible.”
Meanwhile, an online celebrity tour is occurring to mobilize supporters on the Internet. Celebrities participating in the virtual tour include Gillian Anderson, Camryn Manheim, and Cybil Shepard.
Many students said they were interested in hearing what the speakers would discuss.
Alex Peterson, a College of Communication freshman, said she plans on attending, due to the opportunity to discuss a controversial issue.
“I think it’s a great forum for students like me to voice their opinions about the important issue of abortion,” Peterson said. “The celebrity backing is a great draw for students who wouldn’t have otherwise come out to the event, too.”
School of Management freshman Simran Khanduja is a pro-choice supporter who said she hopes the foundation will succeed in its pursuits.
“A woman should always be able to choose because her decision will not only affect her body but also her future,” Khanduja said.