The Paper Trail

Wash. U. Students Turn Backs to Phyllis Schlafly

May 16, 2008 RSS Feed Print

Hundreds of Washington University in St. Louis graduates and some faculty turned their backs in protest as Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist, received an honorary degree at the school's commencement ceremony Friday. Although the number of protesters was a small percentage of the 14,000-person crowd, the audience was mostly quiet as Schlafly received her degree and some faculty even left the stage to turn their backs. The protest had been planned.

Schlafly is most notorious for her "anti-feminist" views on marital rape and sex education classes, and the anti-Schlafly Facebook group is 3,300 people strong. Schlafly's response? Her critics are "a bunch of losers." She adds: "Get a life. Move on. Try to do something with your life."

Tags:: Washington University in St. Louis

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hotel urlaub oesterreich of 1:01PM April 29, 2010

I was at the graduation, and the protest was far larger than you have written. A majority of the students turned their backs on Schlafly. More than a few of the faculty participated as well. Even about a quarter of the parents and guests in my section participated. I admire the students for protesting their university giving a degree to a person who has only distinguished herself by being anti-intellectual, anti-feminist, and anti-gay. Phyllis Schlafly has every right to speak at Washington University (or any other university), but the university should not have chosen to honor her.

Toni (Wash U parent) of MO 6:11PM May 19, 2008

For an 80 something year old "20th century political revolutionary," Ms. Schlafly is certainly eloquent...

Student in CA of CA 2:49PM May 19, 2008

Wash. U. Students Turn Backs to Phyllis Schlafly

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