Mercyhurst Equality of Women (MEOW) provided rides to students Tuesday, March 27, to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s (EUP) Frank G. Pogue Student Center so they could hear Michelle Goldberg speak about her works involving contraception and women’s rights.

“We really wanted to make it possible for our members to be able to see her speak,” MEOW President Lauren Moss said.

Goldberg is a senior contributing writer for Newsweek/The Daily Beast who frequently writes articles involving women’s rights.

The speech focused on the conflicting topic about women’s reproductive rights globally and nationally, and the consequences that spark from this battle.

The events were sponsored by Charlene M. Tanner/Doris Cipolla, the EUP Women’s Studies Committee and Student Government Association and the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Mercyhurst was approached to have Goldberg speak at the university, but the funder and organizer of the Charlene M. Tanner Speaker Series discovered a number of factors preventing the event to occur.

Such factors included timing and the uncertainly of when venues would be available. The final decision was made to book Goldberg at various Erie locations rather than risk scheduling issues and lose her entirely.

“We are disappointed that Mercyhurst University will not have the opportunity to host Goldberg. Her analysis and criticism of the current politics of women’s reproductive rights and how these reflect larger religious and cultural trends in the U.S. and the wider world would have been a timely and important contribution—whether one agrees with her or not,” Philosophy Department Chair James Snyder, Ph.D., said.

Goldberg’s two most recent works are “The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World” and “Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism.”

“Michelle Goldberg has exposed many important current issues about human rights for women everywhere. I am glad MEOW is providing transportation for students interested in the discussion,” MEOW member junior Billy Kraus said.

Goldberg discussed the criticisms of women’s reproductive rights in view of recent conservative legislative initiatives throughout the country, targeting the destruction of women’s reproductive rights and extreme negative views on contraception.

“It is our goal to facilitate healthy, informed discussion on all issues involving women’s equality around the globe. As such, MEOW feels that such a presentation is very well within the purview of our mission and vision,” MEOW Adviser Lena Surzhko-Harned, Ph.D., said.