By: Caitlyn McCoy
Saint Louis University has been funding leftist organizations at a much higher level than conservative groups, according to documentation received through Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tip Line. Leftist organizations received $222,400 of funding from student government––compared to a measly $440 for conservatives.
After requesting a breakdown of the student government allocations for 2022, it is clear that conservative organizations are not nearly as well-funded as leftist groups. According to records UNA- The Feminist Voice at SLU received 100% of their requested funds and received $1,550. This leftist organization promotes woke feminist values and advocates for abortion. Comparatively, Students for Life, a pro-life organization at SLU, received only 3% of their requested funds, totaling $200.
UNA was not the only leftist group that received large funds. SLU’s College Democrats received $1,050, and the Social Work Association (SWA) received $575. The SWA was a key contributor to protests aimed at canceling YAF’s highly anticipated Matt Walsh lecture.
It doesn’t stop there. The Black Student Alliance was allocated $36,300 in 2022. The Rainbow Alliance received $12,850 from student government alone. The Great Issues Committee, who broke its ties to conservatives and exclusively hosts leftist speakers, was allocated $170,075.
Students for Life was not the only conservative organization that was not fully funded. SLU’s College Republicans received $240, which was only 28% of the funding that they had requested.
The president of SLU College Republicans, Carter Fortman, told YAF “The fact the CRs and the SFL are the only permitted student organizations on campus that cater to conservative minded students is really disheartening.” He continued, “What is more disheartening however, is that they received so much less funding that other groups that are either directly leftist, or co-opted by leftist students to do their bidding…If SLU is inclusive it can’t be ruled by a tyranny of the majority, it needs to provide equal footing to conservative students.”
SLU’s public relations team did not respond to YAF’s request for comment.
Our Founding Fathers included the right to free speech in the First Amendment for a good reason; it is vital to protect the speech of your peers but most importantly speech you disagree with. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that conservative students have been silenced on campus and it definitely will not be the last. This is why organizations like Young America’s Foundation are so important.
