Penn lecturer cancels class for rally

“This is what a feminist looks like.”

Danneile Davis, a College sophomore, saw this saying printed on a T-shirt – worn by a man who looked like he had stepped out of a Western film — at a pro-choice rally in Harrisburg on Tuesday.

Sponsored by the “We’ve Had Enough” Campaign for reproductive rights, the rally followed lobbyists who are against state legislation that could potentially close abortion clinics across Pennsylvania.

“The T-shirt represented the idea that women’s rights are human rights,” Davis said.

Davis, who traveled 106 miles across the state to attend the rally Tuesday, is enrolled in lecturer Carol Tracy’s “Women, Gender and Sexuality and the Law” class.

Tracy, who is also executive director of the Women’s Law Project — a law firm in Center City that deals with gender discrimination issues — made the decision to cancel her class so her students could opt to participate in the rally. Tuesday’s class will be made up later on in the semester, Tracy said.

The potential law is “one that puts forth regulations that are completely unnecessary for women’s safety,” Tracy said. “It has nothing to do with women’s safety and everything to do with limiting access to abortion services.”

Over 350 people — including young girls, students, the elderly and religious representatives — rallied, Davis said.

College sophomore Zenia Zelechiwsky, who is enrolled in Tracy’s GSWS class, did not attend the rally but explained that Tracy “provided us with information to join a bus to the rally, so we could get involved if we chose to.”

Tracy said she hopes to use such opportunities to expose her students to real-life issues relating to their course work.

“Learning about lobbying is an important part of what I teach,” she added.

Tracy is familiar with lobbying on campus. She was an undergraduate at Penn in 1973 when two nursing students were gang raped on the University’s campus.

“The person who was in charge of the security program at Penn in 1973 told women the way to prevent being raped was to not wear provocative clothing,” Tracy recalled, adding that this comment enraged students like herself since the incident allegedly occurred at 9 p.m. during the dead of winter.

Tracy said female students and staff stirred to action and began a sit in that lasted four days and nights in College Hall. The sit-in ultimately resulted in the creation of Penn’s escort and bus services, as well as the installation of emergency phones and lighting around campus.

The students and staff involved in the sit-in also called for the creation of a Women’s Center and a Women’s Studies Program.

Today, Tracy — a former director of the Women’s Center — works with students through her classes to ensure that they speak up when needed.

“Students are in a unique position because they have more free speech than they ever will in their lives,” she said.

Davis — one of two students who didn’t have other obligations and was able to go on the trip — said, “Whatever [issue] is important to you, your belief and opinions are not enough. You should hold your elected officials accountable and be a good citizen and have your opinions heard.”

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