There is something about late-night conversations on college campuses. Two perfect strangers meet by chance in a hallway or the elevator and bare their souls only to never see each other again. In January of 2020, one of these late-night conversations sparked the creation of one of SLU’s biggest advocates for change, B!llikens for Reproductive Justice.
The now infamous organization was inspired following a late-night conversation between Casey Nichols, one of the organization’s founders, and another student who had recently come out as gay. This student felt lost trying to navigate the complexities of safe reproductive health and was unable to seek support from the university due to its values as a Jesuit institution. From this interaction, Nichols joined forces with Deepa Shukla, a like-minded SLU student, to create a space for students to anonymously receive safe sex supplies as well as information on safe sex practices. B!llikens for Reproductive Justice was born.
B!llikens for Reproductive Justice (BRJ) is a student-led group advocating for access, education and change surrounding reproductive health on SLU’s campus and the surrounding community. They accomplish this through the provision of free safe sex supplies, education about reproductive and sexual health and by connecting students to local resources. One of their values is to address reproductive health at all of its intersections including, but not limited to, race, economics, immigration, class, disability, queerness and gender identity. Most importantly, BRJ believes that people deserve the information, resources and access in order to make informed and safe decisions free of coercion. BRJ also understands the disparity in access to reproductive care and embraces the term “reproductive justice,” which was coined by Black women in 1994 in response to the mainstream women’s rights movement’s lack of space for women of color and those of other gender identities. The ideals of the reproductive justice movement are upheld in BRJ.
Over the past two years on SLU’s campus, BRJ has distributed over 7,000 safe sex supplies, 400 pregnancy tests and 50 emergency contraceptives to SLU students. This past fall, they organized a successful counter-protest against the scheduled on-campus Matt Walsh event sponsored by the Young Americans for Freedom organization. In addition, they pioneered the request to offer low-cost and self-pay options for STI testing and are continuing to lower the cost hoping to eventually have the tests be free in the Student Health Center. Their biggest accomplishment has been increasing campus awareness of reproductive justice topics including the unethical practices of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. They were successful in getting SLU to sever ties with ThriVe Women’s Health Clinic, a local crisis pregnancy center that pushes their single option agenda onto their patients.
It has not been easy creating a space for sexual health on a Jesuit Catholic campus, where the policies of the university hinder the reproductive rights of students. The Student Health Center does not provide oral contraceptives or other devices for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. These contraceptives, if used for other purposes than preventing pregnancy, are referred to as anti-ovulatory medications. It is no secret that many college students are sexually active and one in four college students contracts a Sexually Transmitted Disease. Limiting access to pregnancy and STD protection for students creates gaps in their health care and an organization like BRJ is actively working to fill those gaps.
The founders of BRJ describe their attempts to accomplish their goals on a Jesuit campus as shouting into a void, hoping that someone will listen and be able to help. Every step that BRJ takes must be analyzed from a “can we” perspective, by asking themselves if their goals are even possible within the confinements of SLU.
Since BRJ is not affiliated with SLU, the organization does not receive the same funding that other student groups receive through the Student Government Association. In order to fund their organization, they instead must seek outside funding through donations and grants. Their work of providing gender-affirming products such as binders is funded through the Saint Louis University 1818 Grant, but this funding can only be used in this sector of their mission. The 1818 Grant can not be used to purchase any sort of contraception. Some of their safe sex supplies are received through the St Louis Department of Health, but most of the emergency contraception is purchased through donations.
One silver lining BRJ has encountered is the amount of support received through the strong community of activism in St. Louis. This community support combined with SLU faculty allies has helped ease the burden placed on these student advocates. Even so, there are no discretionary funds within BRJ. Any money received is almost immediately spent to fund their services which are in high demand. As this academic year comes to a close, BRJ’s goals shift to maintaining as well as growing the organization. Both of the founders of the organization, Casey Nichols and Deepa Shukla, are graduating seniors who hope that all of their work will continue long after their careers at SLU are over. Luckily, the organization is also being supported by several dedicated underclassmen who share the passions of the founders for reproductive justice including Marquis Govan, who was recently elected as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for SLU’s Student Government Association.
The spirit of B!llikens for Reproductive Justice can be best described in a quote by Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” B!llikens for Reproductive Justice have certainly brought their own chair, and they will not let anyone take it away.
Anyone interested in joining this committed organization should direct-message the BRJ Instagram account, @bforreprojustice. To find more information, you can check out their website and donate through GoFundMe or Venmo @pay_bills.