Pro-abortion students at Brown experience 'fear' and 'resolve' after Trump victory
Despite President-elect Donald Trump's repeated insistence that he would not sign a federal abortion ban into law, some pro-abortion Ivy Leaguers remain distraught over a second Trump term.
On Monday, The Brown Daily Herald reported that students at Brown University were experiencing a 'sense of fear' as well as 'resolve' after Trump's decisive victory.
Despite President-elect Donald Trump’s repeated insistence that he would not sign a federal abortion ban into law, some pro-abortion Ivy Leaguers remain distraught over a second Trump term.
On Monday, The Brown Daily Herald reported that students at Brown University were experiencing a “sense of fear” as well as “resolve” after Trump’s decisive victory.
[RELATED: Iowa students distribute free contraception amid state abortion ban]
“I was more shocked that he won just because it seemed like we were in a way where we were moving forward,” one leader of the university’s Planned Parenthood student group told the Herald. “All of Trump’s policies and what he advocates for just take us backwards in time in regards to reproductive healthcare.”
The outlet has said that the Brown College Democrats’ Reproductive Rights Caucus expressed feeling like there is “nowhere to go” as a result of Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a statement posted to Instagram after Harris’ defeat, the student group wrote that its members felt “saddened” by the results, pointing to Trump’s threats to “reproductive rights.”
”A Trump presidency threatens progressive protections of reproductive rights, education, climate change, immigration, civil liberties and economic policy,” the College Democrats’ message read.
As recently as Oct. 1, Trump once again reiterated on social media that he would, “NOT SUPPORT A FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WOULD, IN FACT, VETO IT.”
In August, Trump even drew criticism from conservatives for his use of the phrase, “reproductive rights,” when he wrote that his administration “will be great for women and their reproductive rights.”
Despite this, Brown Visiting Professor Sarah Gamble told the Herald that pro-abortion students and faculty felt “depressed,” but also “energized” when discussing the election results.
The outlet has also reported that pro-abortion groups are anticipating a second Trump administration by advocating for the availability of abortion pills on campus.
In July, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance told NBC News that both he and Trump supported “access” to the abortion pill, mifepristone.
Nevertheless, Brown students have expressed their resolve to have abortion services provided on campus.
“By advocating for services like medication abortion on campus, we can help alleviate the burden on local providers and ensure resources remain available for those traveling from more restrictive states,” one student activist told the Herald.
“We have a consistent dedication to providing health services to students on campus so that they can experience optimal well-being,” a coordinator for the Brown Sexual Health Awareness Group also reportedly said. “Last year, we made Plan B free for all students at Brown, and we’re going to continue offering services to remind students that they have full access to resources.”
