Bristol Palin won't give a speech at Washington University Sex Week

Bristol Palin earns a living speaking about the consequences of teen pregnancy -- but some students at Washington University in St. Louis didn't want to be the ones signing her paycheck.

Palin had been invited by the school's Student Health Advisory Committee to be the keynote speaker on a panel during Washington University's upcoming Sexual Responsibility Week, aka Sex Week, until "growing controversy among undergraduates over the decision to pay for her talk with student-generated funds" prompted Palin and SHAC to mutually cancel her appearance, the school said in a statement Friday.

She was to have made a 25-minute speech on her life story to be followed by an hourlong panel discussion and a half-hour question-and-answer session, the campus newspaper said Tuesday, with a reception afterward at which students could "interact with Palin one-on-one."

Planned Parenthood advocate Kate Walsh of "Private Practice" retweeted a message urging students to boycott Palin's speech, and at least two Facebook pages were established for the same purpose.

"The Student Health Advisory Committee and Palin decided that the message that they intended on sharing would be overshadowed by controversy," the university said Friday.

"[Student Union] Treasury recently approved $20k to sponsor a four-person panel headlined by Palin, who individually commands anywhere from $15 to $30k on the speaker circuit," the Washington University College Democrats said on a "No thanks, Bristol" Facebook page it set up to organize a protest against Palin's appearance.

"The Democrats and our friends, liberals, Republicans, and abstinent individuals alike, believe this is an irresponsible use of Washington University resources on a fifteen-minute-fame speaker who contributes little to the intellectual fire of the university."

A mandatory activities fee charged to each undergrad -- 1% of tuition -- funds the budget from which the money would have been drawn. SHAC wouldn't say how much of the $20,000 was going to Palin; the sum was OKd Tuesday to pay for the entire panel.

The "Protest SU's decision to bring Bristol Palin" Facebook page on Friday declared, "We won!"

"We thought a big name like Bristol's would help to start a dialogue," SHAC President Scott Elman told the campus newspaper. "We also wanted to target abstinence because SHAC and Sex Week have been criticized for being too liberal and too one-dimensional, and that the abstinence conversation hasn’t been brought up."

In a Friday editorial, Elman said: "Controversy was expected, but we did not anticipate such a swift, rash and political backlash. For a university that prides itself in the diversity, intellectual prowess and open-mindedness of its student body, we were shocked to see the formation of such hasty conclusions."

Dr. Katie Plax, a pediatrician and WU associate professor, will replace Palin on the panel, which also features representatives of the Catholic Student Center, Planned Parenthood and Student Health Services, Elman said.

In other Palin family news, "30 Rock" actor Tracy Morgan called Bristol's mom Sarah Palin "good masturbation material," when given a "who'd you rather"-type choice between the onetime vice presidential nominee and costar Tina Fey, known for her impression of the former Alaska governor. TNT apologized Friday for Morgan's comments, made on the network's "Inside the NBA" pregame show Thursday.

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-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Bristol Palin on the set of "Extra" at the Grove in L.A. on Oct. 28. Credit: Michael Caulfield / Getty Images

 

Comments

[LaughingGoat]

She shouldn't be talking anyways. She had a kid out of wed-lock. What a great example. She's just as smart as her mother.

[bmovie]

Bristol and mom, Sarah sure managed to become "Most Hated People in the World" rather easily. I guess their names will live on forever.

[Ursulina]

Commanding $15 to $30k for a speaking engagement is beyond ridiculous. The underlying message being sent is that she is being rewarded for bearing a child out of wedlock. She is no expert and if she really cared about preventing teen pregnancy she'd go on a crusade and do it for nothing.

[Fareed Ansari]

If they are going to have a speaker on teen pregnancy, get a youngster that has never gotten a girl pregnant or a girl that has never been pregnant. They could tell you more than someone like Palin who has been there and done that. It looks like Palin is trying to make a living from her story of how I screwed up. Get a winner to speak and not a loser and it also wont cost $15 to $30K, who can only speak from her sad parental experience.
She had her 2 minutes of fame, she needs to get a job and take care of her child. Her mother would be more than glad to baby sit for her for $100K an hour (Sarah Palin) speaking fee. She might forgo the fee since she shot herself in the mouth lately and no wants to hear her any more. "Lock and Load".

[Lc49b1]

Yeah right. Let them bring in someone else instead, to talk about homosexuality being a normal behavior and that a condom fully protects you from dangerous STDs and pregnancy. I'm sure the students and 'planned parenthood' will see this as contributing to an intelligent dialogue, though the real truth will have no place in the discussion.

[Jordan]

I wish people would lay off of Bristol Palin. She is trying to turn her situation into a positive thing and help people understand that it only takes one bad decision to result in an unplanned pregnancy. She wasn't some loose teenager that was sleeping around; she made one bad decision. She's trying to prevent other young girls from making the mistake that she did. Birth control and condoms aren't 100% effective so her message of abstinence is the best choice is a great message. However, I do think that young people should know about all of their birth control options because I know that it is unrealistic to think that teenagers are not going to have sex. But having said that, they should know that there are risks to having sex even if you use protection.

[bubba]

Lc49b1: And the real truth is what? That abstinence works? Studies have shown that it doesn't. In fact, it seems to push kids into riskier sex, all in the name of preserving a fabricated "value". You sound like either a closet case or a weirdo who has no idea how to speak to women.

[Deb]

I applaude the students for standing up on this issue.

Bristol continues to say that having a baby as a teen is hard work. Really? She's never experienced how hard it is in that courtesy of her mother's name and having the baby, she's been rewarded with huge payments for magazine covers; the dancing show, the 'speaking tour' which truly she's a dreadful speaker. She doesn't want to speak about 'her life' - then why be there except for the $$$. She's had 'hired help' which teens can't pay for diapers, never mind hired help.

I don't know many teens who within 2 years have bought and sold a condo and then paid cash for a 5 bedroom house. That's truly hard done by. Been fortunate to have a new vehicle, travel around the country at whim.

Bravo Students! The topic would better be discussed by someone who has truthfully walked the walk to discuss the real life hardships of having a baby as a teen or young adult. Bristol has not experienced hardship. She's been rewarded for her 'bad' behaviour.

[Todd Miller]

I am so happy to see that the University of Washington of St. Louis has such a great campus for the sharing of other ideas and points of view. It is certainly a school I would want to attend if I want to see free speech in action and share the ideas in a free and open discussion with other open minded people. Psych!!!

[John]

I applaud the University of Washington in St. Louis for protesting what they know is wrong. Who would want to sit and listen to a kid with a baby preach about abstinence? These are obviously intelligent young people who want to invest their time listening to other bright people actually worth a $15k-$30k speaking engagement fee.

Go take care of your baby Miss Palin and practice the abstinence you've been preaching to others.

[linda patterson]

Bristol Pallin did not graduate from high school with her class, She went back to school after the birth of her baby and I don't know if she got a GED or a regular diploma. Some misguided person at this university thought it was a good idea to have her lecture students who are instructed by teachers with master's degrees and Phd attainment. Of course the students revolted,they believe in education, which the Palin family does not. Just as her mother speaks of issues which she has no academic study of , Bristol is just after a paycheck. Sputnik Sarah and Dancing Bristol.

[Lisa]

I can see that true intellectualism is alive and well on college campuses. Kate Walsh and students declare victory? That's interesting. Maybe if all students were represented it would be a victory. However, if you put things into perspective, Planned Parenthood would embrace Bristol Palin's message of Abstinence. Then, they wouldn't have to pay for all of those abortions for people who aren't planning ahead. It would be a win-win for the organization.

If it were Lindsey Lohan coming to talk about the dangers of drug addiction, those intellectual students of Washington State would be glad to poney up the money to see that loser...What does this say about our society. You'll pay to watch "train wreck" celebrities' movies and buy their music albums, but you will attack a young mother who has a positive message and is living a life that she didn't plan on living.

Our society needs all points of view. However, our society is a ruthless one, who only has room for some...Good Luck to the very young...You're going to have a hard road ahead in life. Sad commentary indeed!

[cory]

Considering that Gloria Steinem, whose usual fee is $20,000, plus two round trip first class tickets, was brought to Washington University to speak last spring, the argument that this was about money seems specious, at best.

[Dancingbear]

Well there are plenty of unwed teenage mothers out there who could've been hired to speak for a moderate sum.

[Deb]

If Bristol cared about teen pregnancy, she would do some talks at schools, churches, youth groups - for free. She's never done that. Never spoken to a group in her home state.

She was appointed the 'PAID' Ambassador for Candie's Foundation for a One Time per year panel talk in NY that is not televised. Candie's relayed the talk via Twitter in 24 messages. Wow. That's getting the message out. Questions asked of Bristol - the majority of responses were one word answers - yes or no. That's engaging. Most certainly doesn't warrant $20,000+.

Actually, her last speech lasted ten minutes. Spent more time taking pictures with people. WOW - get a picture taken with an unwed teen mom. Did they learn anything -highly doubt it. The first five gets taken up of her gushing over her son. The next three, about family. The last two, thanks for having me. Somewhere in there, she'd say 'you should wait'. That was the lesson to be learned.

Linda 11:05 - She got her GED and has done nothing about education after that. Education in the Palin household is not a high priority as you watch the kids travel extensively with Palin during school time - weeks and months at a time. I find that sad.

[Katy]

I consider this funny in a number of ways.

First, as someone who is president of a student organization at University of Delaware, which is a large university, I can confirm that $20k is absolutely ridiculous, considering it would be a free event. The only time those prices are ok is when the college has entertainment, which the cost is offset by tickets.

While I think Bristol speaking out about her mistakes is a good thing, I find it funny that people think she is a good person to have come to their college to talk about it. Bristols life was not overly impacted by her having a kid at a young age and out of wedlock, considering she comes from a rich family. It would be much better to have someone talk that has more real-world experience, rather than someone who can afford 5 nannies. For her to discuss only abstinence is not practical. It would be good to have someone who yes, would still talk about abstinence, but on how to handle the situation if you find themselves in their shoes.

This is not an attack at abstinence, and for people to spin it as such is vile. $20k is theft, and Bristol is being a brat for even asking for that, considering how the economy is doing. Palins love to pray on the vulnerable, and take bad situations and spin it in their favor, its gross.

[sandman]

Should be able to get Levi Johnson for 1/3 of the amount being offered to Bristol Palin.

[Lisa Davis]

It may interest the posters dumping on Bristol Palin that Planned Parenthood is the brainchild of Margaret Sanger, founder of the Eugenics movement. In Sanger's perfect world, thousands of women would have been forced to undergo abortions in order to improve the genetic composition of the human race by eliminating those who were deemed "genetically-inferior".

If Sanger had had her way, most of you wouldn't be here posting your "Bristol is an idiot" rubbish!

[skoksvalley]

The student body presented a petition with over 500 signatures against and less than 10 for. Statistically this is a large enough sampling to say that it is representative of the university. So since they pay the tuition isn't it up to them to decide who comes to their school? There have been protested speakers, and funding choices at every college in the country.

Ms Palin really isn't representative of the population of unwed mothers. She owns a home and has the ability to make more in one day than most would in a year. This is not saying she does or doesn't deserve it, but she really isn't the norm. Maybe a young lady who is struggling in society could present a clear picture of the harsh realities of single parenting.

Oh yea, Planned Parenthood does more than pay for abortions, they provide free birth control to those in need. I am not for abortions, however I would like to see the promotion of birth control. Birth control in most cases eliminates the option of abortion, no baby = no abortion.
We will never stop people from having sex, well maybe married people.
Just kidding!

[Sally]

How in the world did we get to the point where a 20 year old with some GED now "makes her living as a speaker." Just what does a 20 year old have to teach anyone? She has not lived long enough to shed light on anything. She got herself knocked up? So have millions of other girls duped into sex by hormonally driven males who live in the moment. She has a millionaire mom who can take care of her, and did. She got a lucrative TV gig because of her last name, nothing more. She paid cash for a mansion...I doubt she needs the $19,000 fee from this very much. She, like her mother, lives for the next internet headline, the next chance to make some cash. Bravo to the students who weren't willing to have their tuition money go to her...would that some adults in this country were as wise in their decision making.

[Dr Kt]

I'm disgusted with my Alma mater for even signing her in the first place. When I went there we were ranked the 2nd best Med School, and the undergrad was ranked better than top 20 (dunno exactly). I could have gone anywhere, I was so proud to go to WashU. I remember looking up at Brookings Hall when I was a toddler and it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.
Presidential candidates debated there. The Pope gave mass at a church (loosely) affiliated with WashU.

So much for my sheepskin. Almost having a Palin on the grounds make me think of it more like a used lambskin. I'm so glad I didn't find out about this until months later. I'm chilled to the bone.
*puke*