UFV Life Link Statement: April 9, 2013
Response to Misleading Comments Made by the University of the Fraser Valley
This statement is in response to misleading comment made by the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) concerning the cancellation of the Life Link event on Wednesday April 10th.
UFV alleges that the LifeLink event was merely postponed and not cancelled. However, in correspondence with the club leaders, UFV stated that the “room booking for the 10th of April has been cancelled and we would request that you remove your posters advertising this event. We also request that you remove the event posting that is located on the weneedaLaw website.” The university did state that the event could continue on the date booked, but only if it was off campus.
Life Link was told, in the email from Friday April 5th, that “if you wish for your Life Link event to happen at UFV the date will have to be postponed.” Considering, however, that the campus is entering exams and the semester is ending, this still means, in effect, that the event has been completely shut down – at least until the next school year starts in September.
The cancellation also failed to address why a risk management plan could not have been discussed when the event was booked three weeks ago or even in the last few days, after the university became concerned about potential protesters. Comments made in the University’s April 5th email to Life Link such as having the event off campus and the need to ensure “an event that provides a balanced view of the issue at hand” also demonstrates the university’s desire to censor the pro-life message.
The university also claims that it does not object to anti-gendercide materials on campus. Why then were club resources restricted to a classroom? The university has stated to the media that graphic or potentially upsetting/offensive resources may be subject to ‘alternative arrangements for display’ out of public space. This indicates that UFV considers the resources in question, which show a pregnant women’s belly and state facts on gendercide and which have been used on other Canadian universities, to be ‘graphic’ and, as such, subject to university censorship.
The University’s Friday April 5th email sent to Life Link can be viewed here: http://ufvlifelink.ncln.ca/files/2013/04/Correspondence-from-UFV-to-Life-Link_April-5.pdf
The resources in question can be viewed here: http://ufvlifelink.ncln.ca/2013/04/08/resources/
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Anastasia Pearse
Western Campus Coordinator
National Campus Life Network
Phone: 604.365.3484
Email: [email protected]
Mail: 205-6339 200th St.