Photo Courtesy of Molly Sullivan
Planned Parenthood founds new chapter at Mason.
BY ERICA MUNISAR, NEWS EDITOR
A new resident student organization was created to promote diversity at Mason in Fall 2022 called Generation Action or “GenAct” for short. Generation Action At Mason is a part of Planned Parenthood which has 350 organizations across college campuses.
According to their statement, “Planned Parenthood Generation Action is a network of young activists across the country who organize events on their campuses and in their communities to: Mobilize advocates for reproductive freedom, Raise public awareness about reproductive health and rights, Educate young people about sexual health, Create lasting change in their communities” Students can learn more about the organization on Planned Parenthood’s Generation Action page.
At Mason, sophomore Molly Sullivan is the co-president of Generation Action and emphasizes that the branch aims to match the values of Planned Parenthood’s description. “Generation Action is the University Chapter of Planned Parenthood so we relate directly to their values. We believe in bodily autonomy for all and accessible abortion for all genders, incomes, ages, etc.” said Sullivan.
Leading up to the 2022 midterms and following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Generation Action led their members to join the 2022 Nationwide Women’s Wave March for reproductive rights on Oct. 8 where they additionally held protest training and sign-making events prior to the march. According to their Instagram post, members can be seen holding up signs supporting the right to abortion saying “My Body, My Choice, My Rights, My Voice”, “The Wave Of Choice Is Coming”, and “Your Laws Will Drown The Dreams Of Millions”.
Most recently, Generation Act hosted a session where students were invited to openly speak about sexual health. Sullivan speaks on Generation Action’s goals to promote inclusive conversations. “We want to provide the Mason community with a safe space to feel themselves and ask hard questions and be un-judged. We talk about the importance of contraceptive use and the different aspects of reproductive health that society has deemed too ‘taboo’ to speak about. We teach consent and how to establish and maintain boundaries, as we believe it is incredibly vital in having a safe and secure relationship or life.” said Sullivan.
Sullivan reinforces the organization’s duty to support reproductive rights and inclusivity for all students on campus. “We are one of the most inclusive RSOs on Mason’s campus as reproductive health is not gendered. Abortion is not gendered. It is healthcare, and we will treat it as such. We also have meetings about inclusivity when regarding sexuality and expression of self, as these individuals are marginalized in our society, so we give them the attention and love they deserve.” said Sullivan.
Students who are interested in joining Generation Action at Mason can get connected through their Instagram and join GroupMe with over 100 members in the biography of the account.
