By Kelly Kultys and Joseph Vitale

Women’s Empowerment — an on-campus feminist organization —has recently taken its efforts to produce The Vagina Monologues under Student Affairs online.

Despite the House Committee’s recent unanimous vote of support for The Vagina Monologues, the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development continues to prevent the hosting of the production under the umbrella of Student Affairs.

As of now, the student-produced and -directed performance will be held on March 8 and March 9  in Collins Auditorium under the sponsorship of Women’s Studies Department.

However, the group continues to try get sponsorship from OSL&CD, rather than  an academic department. Their most recent effort includes a petition and video on Change.org

“We are asking you to stand in opposition to the censorship of women’s experiences. We are asking you to stand in solidarity with women and help us to empower ourselves,” the petition states.

The online statement goes on to say that the cast, crew, directors and producer of The Vagina Monologues, as well Women’s Empowerment, believe this play should be allowed through Student Affairs as it is one of their “strategies to decrease violence against women and empower survivors of sexual assault.”

The group believes the disapproval of Student Affairs “does a disservice to the intended nature of the production.”

The petition serves the purpose of showing student solidarity. This theme of solidarity is further exemplified in a recently-uploaded Youtube video titled “Who Supports The Vagina Monologues?” The video features various Fordham students  holding up hand-written signs expressing their support for the group. The video includes male and female students.

“I am a survivor of sexual assault and I support The Vagina Monologues,” one student wrote.

“I have a vagina and I support The Vagina Monologues,” another said.

There is one particular monologue in particular which led to the University’s withdrawal of support in 2004. Titled “The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could,” the passage-in-contention recounts two separate accounts of rape. While the first is described as a violent experience, the second is presented as a positive experience, one she calls “politically incorrect salvation.” The University has taken the position that the latter can be interpreted as a romanticization of the experience.

As of publication, the petition stands with 240 supporters and the goal, according to the petition, is to reach 500.

UPDATE: As of March 6, the petition has over 490 supporters. 

This article has been amended for factual accuracy (several times).