There's an interesting dichotomy going on in Utah these days. On one hand, the state's governor is facing protests for having defunded Planned Parenthood. On the other hand, the flagship school in the state's public university system, The University of Utah, hosted "sex week" - an event funded by Planned Parenthood, the ASUU (Associated Students of the University of Utah) and two of the school's departments.
In August 2015, Utah Governor Gary Herbert directed the state health department to withhold about $230,000 in federal money originally intended for Planned Parenthood of Utah. Planned Parenthood sued the state to release the funds, but two weeks ago, "U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups decided the government has an interest in avoiding the perception of corruption and allowed the defunding order to go forward." Planned Parenthood and Democrat state legislators are still protesting the judge's decision.
Meanwhile, at the University of Utah (UU), Planned Parenthood was working with Students for Reproductive Justice (funded by the ASUU), UU's College of Social Work, and UU's Office of Equality and Diversity to develop Sex Week, a four day program (Feb. 8-11) indoctrinating young adults into the liberal views of birth control and having abortions.
Students for Reproductive Justice (funded by the ASUU), a group which works with Planned Parenthood to promote abortion, developed and executed the program:
Kiman Kaur, the president of Students for Choice, said the purpose of the week is to raise awareness about reproductive justice by deconstructing reproductive oppression and advocating for people’s right to control their bodies, families and lives. They want to help people learn and dismantle social stigmas and legal roadblocks that prevent people from having complete autonomy over themselves.
(...) “Sex Week was intentionally organized right before the Valentine’s Day weekend, so students could access free condoms and safe sex that they may or may not use during the weekend.”
Notice the use of vague terms like "reproductive justice" and "reproductive oppression," instead of what the terms really mean: abortion rights.
While there are elements that many would consider positive, such as a seminar on how to give clear consent for sex and free STD testing, most of the four-day program was about abortion and birth control, including
- Reproductive Justice 101 Workshop
- Hip Hop and Reproductive Justice:" Love, Pleasure, and Self-Image: Colored Girls Hustle will be at the U to discuss this intersectional hip hop group’s belief that health and pleasure are human rights. They use hip hop to affirm their bodies and help others do the same. In addition to speaking in the afternoon, Colored Girls Hustle will be performing later in the evening."
- Make Your Own Safe Sex Kit (including free lube and free condoms)
- Planned Parenthood Ambassador Training: "Planned Parenthood often gets a bad rap from anti-abortion advocates — this opportunity is to help those interested in reproductive health and justice to learn how to talk about these issues while learning what the organization is really about."
There is even a raffle where one lucky student wins has a chance to win big:
We will be raffling off 1-years worth of free contraception. To enter to win attend at least one full Sex Week event and fill out a raffle ticket. You get a raffle ticket for every Sex Week event you attend. The winner will be announced Friday via text message/email. Good luck!
Some of the faculty are promoting attendance to sex week "by offering extra credit or tardy make-ups if you attend an event"
University education is supposed to be a discussion of all sides of an issue, not an indoctrination. There may very well be a "week" giving the other side of the story, but if there is one, it isn't well promoted. After spending considerable searching the UU websites, I have yet to find an equivalent program preaching abstinence, adoption, and pro-life issues.
Making this one-sided indoctrination worse is that it's partially funded with tax dollars. The ASUU is funded by a student fee prorated by the number of credits a student is taking. On the other hand, some of the other partners in creating the event, the College of Social Work, and the Office of Equality and Diversity are partially funded by the state education budget.
In other words, without their knowledge, the taxpayers of Utah are funding a program pushing their young adults to practice infanticide.