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Carleton University Pro-Life Group Granted Club Status By CUSA

By Gudrun Schultz

OTTAWA, Canada, January 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Carleton University Student’s Association voted yesterday to grant the campus pro-life group Carleton LifeLine club status, in a confusing twist in the ongoing battle over the organization’s new policy banning groups that support anti-abortion legislation from campus.

Despite the controversial policy statement that “actions such as campaigns, distributions, solicitations, lobbying efforts, displays, events, etc. that seek to limit or remove a woman's options in the event of pregnancy will not be supported," CUSA members voted almost unanimously to approve LifeLine  as an official club, with only one vote opposed. Thirty-six-year old Ken Woolliscroft, president of the Women’s Studies Society, opposed the motion to approve the group, the Ottawa Citizen reported this morning.

Nicholas McLeod, spokesperson for LifeLine, told the Citizen the group has no idea if their planned activities will be considered unacceptable by CUSA, now that they have club status--the group plans to raise their profile on campus and begin a campaign to recruit new members and hand out pamphlets.

"I don't know which one of these things violates this new policy because they all do if you take the policy extremely literally," said Mr. McLeod. "So I don't know where the students' association is going to draw the line."

Shelley Melanson, vice-president of finance for CUSA, said it was a “misconception” that the controversial policy was adopted because of LifeLine.

"It's always been about actions and not supporting certain actions," she said, adding that the issue was about freedom of speech. "If you look at the policy ... what it states is that it will not support actions that are anti-abortion. It's fine to have your own opinion about when life begins. We are a university, and debate is allowed."

The initial move to ban groups opposed to abortion from campus was triggered, however, by a campus debate on abortion organized by LifeLine that was held early in November and attended by more than 200 students and other participants. The Wymen’s Centre on campus claimed to have received complaints from female students following the debate.

Interest in the group appears to be growing on campus, with one report showing 15 students signed up for membership following the November debate.

While Melanson said LifeLine’s activities will be monitored, as all other clubs are monitored, she said debates including pro-choice and pro-life groups would not violate the CUSA policy.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada was reportedly considering legal action against CUSA for the ban on pro-life groups. It’s not known if that possibility was a factor in the decision to grant LifeLine club status.

Official recognition as a campus group gives LifeLine access to $2000 in annual funding, among other benefits.

See previous LifeSiteNews coverage:

Carleton Students’ Association May Face Lawsuit Over Ban on Pro-Life Groups
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/dec/06120809.html

Second Canadian University Student Union Bans Official Recognition of Pro-Life Clubs
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/dec/06120604.html

Canadian University Set to Prohibit Club Status For Any Group Opposed to Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/nov/06112406.html

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