Graphic Photos Draw Crowd
By Jared Clark

Two George Mason University students, Linda Lesto and Kim Stryker, stood outside the Johnson Center just before noon Wednesday. Several other students gathered around Lesto and Stryker, listening intently to what they had to say, occasionally nodding in agreement to the arguments each woman presented.

Like the others in the large crowd that had assembled outside as a result of the Genocide Awareness Project display, Kim and Linda were discussing the topic of abortion. However, the discussions that took place Wednesday morning were not of the typical pro-life vs. pro-choice variety.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform displayed their Genocide Awareness Project outside the Johnson Center Wednesday and Thursday. The Genocide Awareness Project features a series of 6'x13' billboards that compare abortion to forms of genocide with vivid images of aborted fetuses, Cambodian killing fields, the Holocaust, and many other historical genocides.

The Gender Awareness Project said that they believe the billboards are necessary because "so many pro-abortion Americans work so hard to cover up the horror of abortion." The GAP hopes the billboards will help to raise awareness about abortion.

Genocide is defined as "the systematic killing of, or a program of action intended to destroy, a whole national or ethnic group." Fletcher Armstrong, the GAP director of the Southeast Region, said, "In each case of genocide personhood was redefined by those in power in a way to exclude the intended victim class." Many people use terms like "shrimp with appendages" or "products of conception" to de-humanize unborn babies. Because of this, Gender Awareness Project members said that they believe abortion to be a form of genocide.

The project travels to schools throughout the U.S. with student and adult volunteers to spread their message. Kathy Hardin, a GAP volunteer, explained her involvement in the GAP. "I want a woman to know that, when she makes this choice, this is what that choice entails." The GAP may have been offensive to many students, but their main goal is to create awareness about abortion, and to inform women of the alternatives to abortion.

The students gathered around the Genocide Awareness Project's protective fence primarily discussed two topics. First, should students who pay to attend Mason be subjected to the GAP photos, and second, does abortion have anything at all to do with genocide?

Mason student Zac Dettwyler said, "This bothers me, but as Americans they have the right to disgust me as long as they don't infringe upon my rights."

Other students did not share Zac's feelings. Kim Stryker believed the billboards to be "violence against women, and violence against the campus." Stryker said that the GAP has no place on campus. "If Mason allows this, will we also allow Nazis and the KKK to come to our campus?"

The opposing viewpoint was that the signs helped to raise student awareness. Student and mother of two Linda Lesto said, "The Genocide Awareness Project raises awareness. If they can help one student make a decision, whether positive or negative, at least it's showing what abortion really entails."

The largest amount of student confusion was a result of the link of abortion to genocide. Most of the students gathered around the GAP display could not understand how abortion and genocide were at all alike. Junior Doug DeBenedetto said, "Genocide has absolutely nothing to do with abortion. I can't understand how they really believe genocide and abortion have a single thing in common."

To combat the Gender Awareness Project, the Women's Coalition set up a table outside SUB I with many informative pamphlets and whistles for students to blow as they walked by the Project. Heidi Housley and Lori Marchessault said, "We're here to provide a safe, non-violent, non-partisan, non-judgemental space to counteract the negative imagery outside the JC today. We're also here to advertise the Women's Coalition and Men's Ally group striving to end violence towards women."