The University group Students for Choice on Thursday welcomed its founder, Mayor Kitty Piercy, to its abortion rights luncheon. The organization’s members sat on the edge of their seats while Piercy discussed how far women’s rights have come from the time she was a student.
The event was organized to celebrate the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and despite the small turnout, the mayor was moved by the Students for Choice’s sentiment.
“Sometimes you get a small turnout and sometimes you get a larger turnout,” Piercy said. “However, no matter what, you always get real people with a genuine concern.”
The event began with a conversation about how each of the students became involved in Students for Choice, and the members discussed the reasons why they are active in abortion rights. Many members also spoke about the close friends they’ve made and the fulfilment they’ve received from working for women’s rights.
Other members discussed growing up amidst abortion rights movements.
“My mom was an abortion provider, so I can remember being five years old and eating chocolate doughnuts on the floor while my mom performed abortions on a Saturday afternoon,” Students for Choice member Rachel Adams said.
Piercy, a long-time advocate of abortion rights, credits her successful political career as both a state legislator and mayor to the lessons she learned working on abortion-related issues.
“The pro-choice movement was really responsible for my training in politics,” she said. “When I used to speak at rallies my knees would knock and my whole body would shake, but after talking about the most controversial issue on Earth, talking about city policy in front of a crowd seemed like a walk in the park.”
Piercy said she first became aware of women’s rights violations during her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia. Stirred by her experiences in Africa, Piercy returned home energized to get involved.
As a young activist, Piercy signed up to volunteer at a Planned Parenthood booth and stuck with it. She worked to found coalition groups across the city, including Students for Choice.
“I became this icon for abortion rights; I unintentionally found myself winning awards and even had a local stirrup room named after me,” she said.
The mayor finished her round table discussion by thanking Students for Choice for its continued support during her campaign and encouraged members to continue working peacefully to raise awareness of women’s rights issues.
Students for Choice has planned a rally against Crisis Pregnancy Centers, which do not provide abortion options, in Eugene tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in the EMU amphitheater. The group hopes to raise awareness about alternative options for unwanted pregnancies.
Jennie Langley, a Lane Pregnancy Support Center representative, said that her crisis pregnancy center is backed by some religious sponsors, but does not disguise itself as a medical center. She also said the center does not seek to intimidate young women with graphic pictures.
Students for Choice, however, is concerned about the credibility of such centers.
“Crisis Pregnancy Centers disguise themselves as medical clinics, but have a religious motivation,” Adams said. “They show women already traumatized by unwanted pregnancy images of late term abortions, jarring them even more.”
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