The petition to hold a student body-wide referendum on the question of whether Students for Sexual Health (SSH) should be permitted to meet and distribute on campus received the necessary amount of signatures from 1,170 students, one-eighth of the student body, on Monday afternoon.
The question, “Should Students For Sexual Health be permitted to distribute contraceptives to their peers and hold meetings on campus, without receiving official university recognition or funding?,” will be now be on the presidential elections ballot for the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, which opens at 12 a.m. Thursday.
The referendum will follow a comprehensive sexual health survey conducted by SSH in December, in which 78.5 percent of respondents indicated that they would use sexual health resources if they were provided by student organizations allowed to distribute on campus.
SSH, a sexual and reproductive health advocacy group run by BC students, is currently prohibited from operating on campus. The administration currently prevents the distribution of condoms from happening on campus because the practice does not align with the University’s values and traditions.
“SSH promotes campus dialogue on issues of sexual health, and provides condoms, dental dams, lubricants, and educational materials to help students make informed decisions, practice safe consensual sex, and cultivate healthy relationships,” said Connor Kratz, SSH co-chair and MCAS ’18.
Although the ballot to vote for president and executive vice president will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the ballot for the referendum will remain open through Friday.
“We are delighted the student body will have the opportunity to elevate their voices on this critical campus health issue,” Kratz said.
Featured Image by Taylor Perison / Heights Staff
