Abortion has been a key issue on the election ballot for many years. The current presidential election cycle has seen the issue as a more prominent issue swaying many voters’ opinions.
On Oct. 22, Christopher Newport University’s Students For Life (SFL) organization hosted spokesperson Lydia Taylor Davis for the national SFL organization in the David Student Union (DSU) building. During the duration of this event, the CNU Planned Parenthood Generation Act (PPGA) organization held a counterprotest on the first floor of the DSU.
The event in the DSU that evening opened with remarks from SFL president Jenna Gibson who briefly introduced Davis. Davis stated that abortion is not “pro-women,” but is instead “anti-women.” Once pro-choice herself, she stated her reasoning behind being pro-life and why she switched.
“I believe all human beings deserve equal rights, and anyone who says otherwise is just honestly supporting discrimination,” she said.
Throughout the day, Davis was seen tabling outside of Trible Library with other members of her staff recording the entirety of it along with other SFL members. Several CNU students reported that Davis and her staff were “harassing” and “yelling at” those walking by. Several students also reported being called a “baby killer” and others reportedly emailed CNU administration to report the alleged harassment. However, Davis and her team quickly denied these allegations when questioned by a student.
“I hope I’ve made it very clear tonight that I am here because I love people and not because I think people are baby killers,” Davis stated. “Now I do think abortion does kill babies, but I’m not here to call names. I’m here to have a conversation, and I absolutely did not call anyone a baby killer today.”
Davis and her team stated that the full, unedited footage from her time tabling would be posted on their website for people to view. Davis also stated that her intentions are to be loving and supportive.
“Yes, I am passionate. Yes, I am angry at the abortion industry, but I always think we should be taking a more loving and compassionate approach when talking to women,” she said. “I absolutely agree that it reflects badly on the pro life movement if people do otherwise. So I want to let you know that the real pro life movement is absolutely compassionate and kind to both women who have had abortions.”
Davis also stated that she believes there is a difference between an abortion and a “life-saving” medical procedure. She also stated she believes that in instances in which, what most would classify a medical abortion, the mothers life is at risk and there is no chance of saving the unborn child then a medical procedure to save the mother is not an abortion as it is not “murder.”
The event opened with a Q&A to allow students a chance to ask questions without needing to stay until the very end. The room reached space capacity, leaving several students lining the walls and standing near the doorways.
The Q&A session began roughly at 7:30PM and quickly turned into a debate that lasted until 9:14PM when it was cut off to allow the speaker a chance to run through her speech.
Davis ran through a portion of her speech, including clarifying her position as to why she is pro-life, her personal beliefs and ‘debunked’ a viral TikTok made against her. Finishing her speech early, Davis again opened the floor for questions.
At the bottom of the main stairwell in the DSU, PPGA held its counterprotest until 9PM. The table gave out merchandise, buttons and even free condoms. President of the PPGA, junior Andrew Brown, stated that CNU is the only public university in Virginia that doesn’t directly distribute condoms to students. Part of PPGA’s intention is to help bridge that gap for students.
Brown stated the intentions of the organizations counterprotest was to remain civil, but also stated that organization members were briefed and prepared for any and all possible confrontations. Other E-Board members such as Vice President Ally Carroll, Social Media Director Jaidyn Forrest and Secretary Olivia Fallen were also in attendance.
Brown joined PPGA during his freshman year, then became club president his sophomore year.
“Planned Parenthood, which is, I think for a lot of people, a beacon of hope and kind of like an area of safety in an area where maybe there are more people who aren’t as open to minorities,” Brown said “You know, it’s a kind of no point across the board that Planned Parenthood caters to everyone and anyone.”
Brown stated his main goal and focus is to create a space for respectful, safe dialogue.
“I think it’s really important to have a safe space, to have a visible presence of minorities, women [and] people who are underrepresented, especially at a predominantly white university, a university previously under the kind of oversight of a former Republican politician,” he said.
The intention of the counterprotest was to remain civil, which reportedly remained that way from other witnesses. Brown stated that while the SFL organization isn’t “hateful,” he’s observed that it has a tendency to attack those with opposing viewpoints.
However, Brown did state that Davis and members of her team did approach the PPGA table. Brown stated that the two introduced themselves, but when Davis questioned why PPGA was there to protest, Brown chose not to comment. He also explained to her that her alleged actions tabling earlier in the afternoon was another factor as to why he chose not to further engage. When Davis asked for clarification on what those actions entailed, Brown reportedly explained that several students had reported her to administrative figures at CNU and she should contact them for further clarification. Brown stated that he was unsure as to what her intention for approaching the table was, but it appeared she wanted to have a conversation.
A photo of the PPGA table and its members was posted to the national SFL organization Instagram story with the caption “pro-choicers protesting @lydiataylordavis before her speech.” Brown stated that while this was expected, it was “disheartening” to see, considering PPGA has reportedly never posted photos of SFL members online in that manner.
The Captain’s Log was unable to get in touch with the SFL organization on campus.
