For a minute, I couldn't believe my eyes, but I'll tell you what I saw. (Before I continue, I must excuse myself before the members of Student Services Finance Committee for whom reason and logic were convincing arguments.) I saw a student group who had worked tirelessly to answer even the most foolish and urbane questions of the committee. A group whose ideology sat uncomfortably with some members of SSFC and hence received greater scrutiny than was directed at other groups.
Nonetheless, this group fared well. When one adversarial member of SSFC tried to twist this organization's words against it, the members countered point by point, defending their premises and their requests beyond reproach. It was such a reasonable and airtight argument that the challenges from the committee seemed comical, even to the majority of the committee members.
The appeal of the group's budget was put to a vote, and the first step to restoring funding won. But with a quick glare to an abstaining member, the uncomfortable minority on the council gained a vote and stymied the majority's decision. 40 percent of the committee voted against amending Sex Out Loud's diminished budget levels and killed the initiative.
I, in my second time before the committee, asked those members voting against our carefully prepared budget to honor our effort by explaining on the record why they would vote to impair our ability to serve thousands of students that come to us every year. I asked them why the students that they represent don't deserve sex educators that are trained extensively and capable of doing the job. I implored that they give an explanation to the tireless work we do to bring these issues to an enthusiastic student body.
They did not dignify my request, which means they did not dignify you, the students. They chose their own insecurities and unexplained inhibitions over the blatant will of the thousands of students that attend our programs and events every year.
We at Sex Out Loud serve an ever-increasing number of students each year. Those students require increasing amount of sex supplies (condoms, sex dams, etc.) as well as an increasing amount of training to cater to their diverse needs and effectively educate. Our consumers, the students, exhibit increasing demand for our products and services each year. This is obvious and easily proven, just as is the value and necessity of our message. For that reason, I ask those that benefit from Sex Out Loud' those thousands who repeatedly attend our programs'to speak on our behalf in any way you can. Our ability to serve is being subverted by people who I doubt even care about your wishes. I believed that numbers, enthusiasm and proof counted before our student leaders. Unfortunately, a minority there challenged my belief that our student government is representative. It chills and saddens me, as it should you.
