H*yas for Choice, often known as HFC, is a pro-choice student organization at Georgetown. Due to tensions between the club's pro-choice advocacy and the University's adherence to official Catholic doctrine, which opposes both contraception and abortion, HFC has not received University funding since the 1990s and is the only on-campus supplier of contraceptive products.
History
H*yas for Choice, founded as GU Choice, initially received University recognition in 1991, allowing the club to receive University funding1. Ultimately, official University recognition lasted barely a year — Georgetown revoked funding and official links to the club at the end of the 1991-92 school year2. Since the club is officially unrecognized, it cannot use terms like "Hoya" trademarked by the University, hence the asterisk in "H*yas for Choice"3. In 2003, HFC again applied for University funding4; the request was denied.
Offerings
H*yas for Choice aims "to provide direct sexual and reproductive health services and improve access to resources for people of all genders on Georgetown's campus"5. The club relies on donations since it does not receive University funding6.
H*yas for Choice frequently tables in Red Square and the Leavey Center, providing free intimacy and contraceptive products to students7. Its site features a list of sexual health resources, including but not limited to abortion services and on-campus health resources8. Since Georgetown is a Catholic university and does not provide contraceptives for students, HFC is the only supplier of such products on campus9.
Starting in 2013, HFC began to host an annual Choice Week, which features a series of speakers and an Abortion Story Share-Out, in which HFC members read anonymous submissions of abortion stories from the Georgetown community10. The club also engages in other advocacy efforts, typically holding a protest of the Cardinal O'Connor Conference (OCC) on Life, a major pro-life conference which Georgetown hosts annually11.
More recently, HFC developed an online resource called the Archives*, a friendly and informal blog for students to ask questions about sex, relationships, body image and health. In January of 2024, In lieu of traditional protests against the OCC, HFC instead hosted a reproductive rights panel and invited prominent pro-abortion activists to speak to Georgetown.12
- 1Tirpak, Meredith and John Russ. "Cardinal Denounces GU Choice Approval." The Hoya. 5 March 1991.
- 2Lundy, Amy. "University Revokes Funding For Controversial Student Club." The Hoya. 28 April 1992.
- 3H*yas for Choice, Ab*ut. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/ab-ut.
- 4Voice Staff. "H*yas for Choice seeks SAC funds." The Georgetown Voice. 20 March 2003.
- 5H*yas for Choice, Ab*ut. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/ab-ut.
- 6H*yas for Choice, Get Inv*lved. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/get-inv-lved.
- 7H*yas for Choice, Ab*ut. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/ab-ut.
- 8H*yas for Choice, Res*urces. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/res-urces.
- 9H*yas for Choice, Ab*ut. https://www.hyasforchoice.com/ab-ut.
- 10Urtz, Hannah. "H*yas for Choice Launches 5th Annual Choice Week." The Hoya. 28 March 2017.
- 11Abu-Fadel, Romy and Alex Deramo. "H*yas for Choice leads student protest against 24th Cardinal O'Connor Conference." The Georgetown Voice. 22 January 2023.
- 12https://thehoya.com/annual-anti-abortion-conference-sparks-campus-discourse
