Wesleyan University bows to socialist club's demands to pay for student abortions
The announcement followed the student group Wesleyan Democratic Socialists launching a petition to demand the school provide 'care to people with uteruses' following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
An elite liberal arts college in Connecticut plans to foot the bill for students’ remaining abortion-related costs after insurance, starting this coming school year.
“At a time when reproductive freedom is being threatened around the country, Wesleyan is dedicated to providing students with support for free emergency contraception or for the decision to terminate a pregnancy,” a spokesperson for Wesleyan University recently told Fox News.
The announcement followed the student group Wesleyan Democratic Socialists launching a petition to demand the school provide “care to people with uteruses” following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
“The overturning of Roe v. Wade illustrated the importance of abortion access and reproductive freedom as an equal justice issue,” the group wrote.
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The petition called for the school to cover emergency contraceptives including Plan B and Ella, off-campus abortions, transportation to abortion clinics, counseling and pain relievers, and to disseminate information about “reproductive healthcare.”
The petition added that if Wesleyan takes action, it would “cement its status as an institution that values the wellbeing of its students,” by taking “a more proactive stance against conservative attacks on reproductive justice.”
The petition garnered more than 740 signatures, and various student organizations, in addition to six professors, supported the petition.
“Reproductive justice serves as an important framework for resisting white supremacist, colonialist, and capitalist forms of control,” the group added in their “Who we are” section of the petition.
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On May 3, the socialist student group announced on its Twitter account that the university had agreed to a number of their demands, including covering the cost of Plan B and Ella, all costs of abortion after insurance, a “medical Uber ride” for abortion clinic visits, and post-op care.
The Wesleyan Admin has accepted our demands regarding the Reproductive Justice Campaign. Thank you to everyone that signed the petition and supported our cause. pic.twitter.com/KZnqAdN7Cd
— Wesleyan Democratic Socialists 🌹 (@wes_ydsa) May 3, 2023
The club also took a victory lap following the school’s commitment, calling it a “HUGE win” in an Instagram post.
“Through a process of research, coordination with the Davidson Health Center and student groups, WesDS not only developed a set of demands, but a community of concern to ensure Wesleyan implements and continues to develop their new policy,” they wrote.
Wesleyan University, the Davison Health Center, and the Wesleyan Democratic Socialists did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
