VOICES FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD

article compiled by Amara Allenstein & Courtney Weaver

Vox, Voices for Planned Parenthood, is an education and activist orientated group on campus. We work to educate and raise awareness about reproductive rights and health care issues and promote pro-choice activism on campus and in the community.

In April of 2004 several VOXers had the privilege of attending the March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. After several months of rigorous fundraising, we had the chance to join over 1.3 million women and men in the Capitol Mall to march for access to family planning services, equitable healthcare, reproductive freedom and justice for women here in the U.S. and all over the world. Activists from all over the nation came to tell Congress and President Bush that reproductive rights are human rights, and that there IS A PRO-CHOICE majority. Many women there had also attended the original march for choice in the 1970s. Seeing the massive unification and concern for choice issues was a moving, gratifying and inspirational experience.

In January of 2004 VOX held a vigil to recognize and celebrate the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Though small, we commemorated the day on the women’s center lawn by recognizing the lives lost and contribution to the movement made by all women who died from back-alley abortions prior to the protection of the right to privacy recognized by the landmark case.

After the 2004 presidential election between George W. Bush and John Kerry served as a defeat in the pro-choice movement, VOX participated in a Women Respond! Rally, designed to bring together women’s groups on campus to discuss the results of the election and their effects on women in the U.S. and abroad. The Global Gag Rule, Sweatshop Labor, Forced Prostitution, Supreme Court Appointments and Reproductive Rights were all discussed in rousing speeches from Campus Leaders. Movement unity and coalition building are an important part of the VOX experience.

In January of 2005, we celebrated another anniversary for Roe, this time by having a rally in Anisq’Oyo’ Park. The rally featured live music, spoken word, monologues, and personal stories as well as some words from Assembly Member Pedro Navo and Council Member Das Williams. Student and community members as well as organizations such as the Santa Barbara Pro-Choice Coalition, Mujer, The Women’s Studies Program, Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, WETT, Students’ Co-op, and others joined in coalition to celebrate Roe and discuss her preservation.

Shortly after, in February 2005, VOX, with the help of the UCSB Women’s Center, held its first Fem*Sex event. Fem*Sex was a day of workshops focusing on various issues dealing with sexuality. We had workshops such as Reproductive Rights, Eco-Sex, the Sexuality of Childbirth, Sexual Health, Representations of Women of Color in the Media, Sexual Violence, Orgasm, Sensual Massage and Tantric Breathing, and Sex Toys. Again, this could not have been possible without the help of great facilitators from Planned Parenthood, Mujer, Students’ Co-op, Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, Students Stopping Rape, and the community. We are planning to have another workshop day in Spring 2006, so if you have workshop ideas or want to participate, contact us; it was a lot of fun.

After the workshops, VOX member Marina Carleton was inspired to facilitate an actual course on Women’s Sexuality. Thanks to ESLP, Education for Sustainable Living Program, she was able to teach the course for a full 4 units of upper division credit in the Women’s Studies Program. The course was small, ran by the students, and opened a space up for women to talk about different issues of their choice surrounding sexuality. At the conclusion of the course, we put together a zine that talked about some of the topics we covered in class and why we liked the structure of the ESLP class. If this sounds appealing, contact ESLP because we want to pass the torch and have a facilitator for another class dealing with such issues.

VOX covers a lot of ground surrounding reproductive rights, health care, and sexuality. I find that the organization is able to do as much as we want to work for. Fem*Sex and the ESLP course are examples of how our organization has expanded its interests and worked with other campus groups and in the community. Whether it is within our group, or while working with other groups, we hope to meet you soon!