After a three-month hiatus, Fordham’s sex crusaders are back on the prowl!
Having spent much of the fall semester violating school rules by distributing birth control in secret and tangling with administrators on social media, SAGES plans to meet this week to develop a network of action.
“This network is a part of SAGES fight for change at Fordham; namely that if administration is unwilling to care for their students, students can care for each other and ourselves,” according to the meeting’s description on Facebook.
The “Just a Friend Network” is comprised of “students, peers, Fordham community members, and friends that just want to help provide support for sexual health issues,” according to SAGES. The group also plans to broaden the network to advocates in New York City.
The mission of SAGES, which stands for Students for Sex & Gender Equality and Safety, is to spotlight and change’s Fordham’s birth control and free speech policies.
SAGES attempted to deliver a petition with a list of the group’s grievances to Rev. Joseph M. McShane, president of the university, in early November. He was not in his office at the time of the group’s ambush. Public Safety intervened. The group taped the petition to the door of the administration building.
School officials said McShane would make no “official reaction” to the petition.
The group hopes the “Just a Friend Network” increases students’ access to birth control on campus, allows referrals to GYN and makes available LGBTQ health care information, institutes sexual assault first responders and creates workshops on sex health education.
Despite rumors that have surfaced, the university does not ban the use of birth control on campus, according to the student handbook. Public distribution of birth control, however, is in violation of Fordham’s policy, which reflects traditional Catholic values.
The group will meet to plan the organization of the network on Wednesday, Feb. 18 in Dealy Hall.
Connor Ryan
John Bonazzo
Fordham Daily 
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