Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins spoke Oct. 21 at Wellesley College, despite a concerted effort from pro-abortion activists to keep her away.

Pro-abortion students had lobbied the school’s administrators to not only cancel Hawkins’ appearance, but also to shut down the school’s only pro-life campus group, Wellesley for Life.

The protests were so strong that the school president, according to Hawkins, sent out a schoolwide email saying she agreed with the protestors and was working with the administration to offer students “safe spaces” since Hawkins’ mere presence on campus could traumatize students.

But the president of the private women’s college, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, stopped short of canceling the speech and agreed to allow Hawkins her free speech rights.

In an article posted on its website, Students for Life says “pro-abortion students have taken the position that those who disagree with them on abortion and sex should be barred from sharing their ideas with more open-minded students.”

The students have spread disinformation about Hawkins, the article said, including the claim that she is a racist and ableist—charges reportedly disseminated in a document posted on social media also purporting to contain the names of more than 700 people who oppose Wellesley’s decision to allow Hawkins to speak.

“Like many schools have tried to do, pro-abortion students at Wellesley College are attempting to cancel me by blatantly lying about me and my positions,” Hawkins said. “They are even attempting to cancel their fellow students who are members of Wellesley for Life, demanding the pro-life group be de-constituted on the basis that its members invited me to speak.”

Abortion rights protestors shouldn’t be able to dictate which ideas can be discussed on campus among other students “who are, unlike them, open-minded,” the article said. 

“The reason they are trying to ‘cancel me’ … [is] because I dare speak the truth that only women can get pregnant and abortion hurts women,” Hawkins said. 

She did not back down. 

“They know they can’t win the argument over abortion, so they’ll do anything to shut us up,” she said in an email to supporters Wednesday.  

The morning following the speech, Hawkins posted an update on Facebook. “Why did I persist on speaking at Wellesley despite the threats and immense pressure the pro-life student leaders faced?” Hawkins said. “Because of the pro-abortion students who attended last night and spent half of my speech nodding in agreement with my points. I know with 100% certainty that they walked away knowing that the pro-life movement actually does care about women, which our research shows is the first step in changing hearts on abortion. That made it all worth it!”

The speech was the first stop on Hawkins’ fall speaking tour under the theme “The Future is Anti-Abortion.” Students for Life is launching a large-scale campaign raising awareness of nonviolent abortion alternatives, community support systems and policy changes needed to help women and families thrive in choosing life for unborn babies.

The tour includes stops at St. Mary’s College on Nov. 1; University of San Diego on Nov. 9; and University of California Irvine Nov. 10, all at 7 p.m. 

 

This article was updated at 12:10 p.m. Oct. 22.

Photo: Courtesy of Students for Life