An activist speaks outside the Supreme Court in protest of abortion bans on September 2, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Jul 25, 2022
Pro-abortion rights advocates on social media Monday spoke out in defense of incoming medical students at University of Michigan who walked out of a ceremony to protest the keynote speaker's pro-forced birth views, pushing back against claims that the students behaved "unprofessionally."
Noting that Michigan has a decades-old state law criminalizing abortion care--which for now is blocked by a temporary injunction--Dr. Karen Gibbins said that accusations of unprofessionalism are coming from "the same people who help anti-abortion people get and maintain positions of power."
The students walked out of their white coat ceremony--an official welcoming of the incoming class of medical students--as keynote speaker Dr. Kristin Collier began her address.
\u201cIncoming medical students walk out at University of Michigan\u2019s white coat ceremony as the keynote speaker is openly anti-abortion\u201d— Scorpiio (@Scorpiio) 1658694164
Collier has shared her anti-choice views on social media and spoke on a so-called "pro-life feminism" panel in April 2019 at University of Notre Dame.
"We are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
"I can't not lament the violence directed at my prenatal sisters in the act of abortion, done in the name of autonomy," Collier said on Twitter in May, weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended abortion rights for millions of Americans.
Current and incoming students at the University of Michigan Medical School gathered more than 340 signatures on a petition calling on the school to select another speaker, arguing that Collier's support for keeping specific forms of medical care out of reach for patients is "antithetical to the tenets of reproductive justice."
"While we support the rights of freedom of speech and religion, an anti-choice speaker as a representative of the University of Michigan undermines the university's position on abortion and supports the non-universal, theology-rooted platform to restrict abortion access, an essential part of medical care," reads the petition. "This is not simply a disagreement on personal opinion; through our demand we are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a lawsuit in April in the state Court of Claims, challenging a 1931 ban on abortion care. A preliminary injunction was granted in May and the case against the law is proceeding.
"Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line," said Gibbins. "Being quiet right now is a political choice."
\u201cWe should be more like those med students. I know there are times I wish I'd been more unprofessional. Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line. Being quiet right now is a political choice.\u201d— Karen Gibbins, MD (@Karen Gibbins, MD) 1658761729
Amit Narang, a regulatory policy advocate at government watchdog Public Citizen, added that the support of anti-choice laws by medical providers is "unprofessional," not the students' walkout.
"You know what's 'unprofessional'? Preventing a doctor from doing what's best for the health of the patient," said Narang. "And forcing a doctor to force a patient to do something against their will."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Pro-abortion rights advocates on social media Monday spoke out in defense of incoming medical students at University of Michigan who walked out of a ceremony to protest the keynote speaker's pro-forced birth views, pushing back against claims that the students behaved "unprofessionally."
Noting that Michigan has a decades-old state law criminalizing abortion care--which for now is blocked by a temporary injunction--Dr. Karen Gibbins said that accusations of unprofessionalism are coming from "the same people who help anti-abortion people get and maintain positions of power."
The students walked out of their white coat ceremony--an official welcoming of the incoming class of medical students--as keynote speaker Dr. Kristin Collier began her address.
\u201cIncoming medical students walk out at University of Michigan\u2019s white coat ceremony as the keynote speaker is openly anti-abortion\u201d— Scorpiio (@Scorpiio) 1658694164
Collier has shared her anti-choice views on social media and spoke on a so-called "pro-life feminism" panel in April 2019 at University of Notre Dame.
"We are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
"I can't not lament the violence directed at my prenatal sisters in the act of abortion, done in the name of autonomy," Collier said on Twitter in May, weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended abortion rights for millions of Americans.
Current and incoming students at the University of Michigan Medical School gathered more than 340 signatures on a petition calling on the school to select another speaker, arguing that Collier's support for keeping specific forms of medical care out of reach for patients is "antithetical to the tenets of reproductive justice."
"While we support the rights of freedom of speech and religion, an anti-choice speaker as a representative of the University of Michigan undermines the university's position on abortion and supports the non-universal, theology-rooted platform to restrict abortion access, an essential part of medical care," reads the petition. "This is not simply a disagreement on personal opinion; through our demand we are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a lawsuit in April in the state Court of Claims, challenging a 1931 ban on abortion care. A preliminary injunction was granted in May and the case against the law is proceeding.
"Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line," said Gibbins. "Being quiet right now is a political choice."
\u201cWe should be more like those med students. I know there are times I wish I'd been more unprofessional. Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line. Being quiet right now is a political choice.\u201d— Karen Gibbins, MD (@Karen Gibbins, MD) 1658761729
Amit Narang, a regulatory policy advocate at government watchdog Public Citizen, added that the support of anti-choice laws by medical providers is "unprofessional," not the students' walkout.
"You know what's 'unprofessional'? Preventing a doctor from doing what's best for the health of the patient," said Narang. "And forcing a doctor to force a patient to do something against their will."
Pro-abortion rights advocates on social media Monday spoke out in defense of incoming medical students at University of Michigan who walked out of a ceremony to protest the keynote speaker's pro-forced birth views, pushing back against claims that the students behaved "unprofessionally."
Noting that Michigan has a decades-old state law criminalizing abortion care--which for now is blocked by a temporary injunction--Dr. Karen Gibbins said that accusations of unprofessionalism are coming from "the same people who help anti-abortion people get and maintain positions of power."
The students walked out of their white coat ceremony--an official welcoming of the incoming class of medical students--as keynote speaker Dr. Kristin Collier began her address.
\u201cIncoming medical students walk out at University of Michigan\u2019s white coat ceremony as the keynote speaker is openly anti-abortion\u201d— Scorpiio (@Scorpiio) 1658694164
Collier has shared her anti-choice views on social media and spoke on a so-called "pro-life feminism" panel in April 2019 at University of Notre Dame.
"We are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
"I can't not lament the violence directed at my prenatal sisters in the act of abortion, done in the name of autonomy," Collier said on Twitter in May, weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ended abortion rights for millions of Americans.
Current and incoming students at the University of Michigan Medical School gathered more than 340 signatures on a petition calling on the school to select another speaker, arguing that Collier's support for keeping specific forms of medical care out of reach for patients is "antithetical to the tenets of reproductive justice."
"While we support the rights of freedom of speech and religion, an anti-choice speaker as a representative of the University of Michigan undermines the university's position on abortion and supports the non-universal, theology-rooted platform to restrict abortion access, an essential part of medical care," reads the petition. "This is not simply a disagreement on personal opinion; through our demand we are standing up in solidarity against groups who are trying to take away human rights and restrict medical care."
Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a lawsuit in April in the state Court of Claims, challenging a 1931 ban on abortion care. A preliminary injunction was granted in May and the case against the law is proceeding.
"Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line," said Gibbins. "Being quiet right now is a political choice."
\u201cWe should be more like those med students. I know there are times I wish I'd been more unprofessional. Keep in mind that the state of abortion rights in Michigan is very much on the line. Being quiet right now is a political choice.\u201d— Karen Gibbins, MD (@Karen Gibbins, MD) 1658761729
Amit Narang, a regulatory policy advocate at government watchdog Public Citizen, added that the support of anti-choice laws by medical providers is "unprofessional," not the students' walkout.
"You know what's 'unprofessional'? Preventing a doctor from doing what's best for the health of the patient," said Narang. "And forcing a doctor to force a patient to do something against their will."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.