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“My body! My choice!”

The words echoed throughout the central core of the University of New England’s Biddeford Campus on Friday, Oct. 22, as upward of 50 people gathered to march in support of women’s reproductive rights.

"They say, ‘No choice’ — we say, ‘Pro-choice!’” the group exclaimed while flashing signs reading, “All Rise for Justice,” “Reproductive Rights are Human Rights,” and “Bans Off Our Bodies,” among other powerful progressive statements, as they traversed the campus quad toward the Jack S. Ketchum Library.

The march was organized by ɫ����Ƶ’s Generation Action Club (GenAction) — with support from ɫ����Ƶ’s Office of Student Engagement and Female Athlete Alliance — to raise awareness of the many recent attempts to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care, most notably in Texas, said Brooke McLaughlin (Neuroscience, ’23), GenAction president.

“When I became president of GenAction, my priority was to focus on projects that would involve and benefit all members of the ɫ����Ƶ community,” McLaughlin explained. “As an institution educating many future health professionals, ɫ����Ƶ is in a unique position to ensure that this important issue is addressed so that the next generation of health care providers can advocate for women’s rights.”

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 600 anti-reproductive health care pieces of legislation have been introduced across 47 states in 2021 alone.

The event began with a speech from GenAction Secretary Safiya Nafai (Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies, ’24), followed by a moment of silence and then the rally, headed by McLaughlin.

“As I was leading the march across campus, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with joy seeing everybody behind me fighting for something I feel so passionately about,” McLaughlin remarked. “It was an incredibly powerful moment, and I am so thankful for everyone who helped make this happen.”