Table of Contents
Pro-Life Group Fights for Recognition on Campus: Q&A with Andrew Guernsey
![](/sites/default/files/styles/379x213/public/2015/05/18152603/VoiceforLifeJHU-feat.jpg.webp?itok=42GdA3kG)
Meet Andrew Guernsey, a student at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Voice for Life—a pro-life student organization at JHU.
When Andrew set out to create Voice for Life in 2013, JHU’s student government had other plans. Despite meeting all qualifications for a registered student organization, Voice for Life was denied their charter on the basis of the university’s overly broad speech codes. But the group was not content to back down and be silenced. As Andrew put it, “We decided to stand up for our rights.” After being contacted by Voice for Life, FIRE wrote a letter to the Student Government Association Judiciary and published a press release about Andrew’s situation. As a result, Voice for Life was finally granted recognition from the university.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/833x469/public/oembed_thumbnails/2022-08/hk2FHwiMqcvTZdywtJ1ZVEvzaw5gL7H6c-AeJ7NaQ8M.jpg.webp?itok=jyyMDhBX)
In the video above, Andrew advises other students whose free speech rights are being violated to “agitate, agitate, agitate; don’t let your voice be squashed by a majority that is not tolerant of you.”
That’s good advice for passionate students, and we’d like to help. This summer, learn from FIRE staff and fellow student advocates about how you can fight back against censorship at the 2015 FIRE Student Network Conference. The conference takes place in Philadelphia from July 24 to 26, is free to attend, and will include keynote addresses from former ACLU president Nadine Strossen and Washington Post columnist Radley Balko. Apply to attend today!
Recent Articles
FIRE’s award-winning Newsdesk covers the free speech news you need to stay informed.
![John Stuart Mill's lasting impact on the Supreme Court](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/media/images/podcasts/fa962f8c-ef49-45c4-97b5-0d36440427e9.jpg.webp?itok=HtFsElgP)
John Stuart Mill's lasting impact on the Supreme Court
How has 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill influenced America's conception of free speech and the First Amendment? In their new book, "" co-authors Eric Kasper and Troy Kozma look at how the Supreme Court has increasingly aligned...
![Politico Logo on a mobile screen](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/08/Politico%20logo%20on%20a%20mobile%20screen.jpg.webp?itok=MPnJRrQC)
Trump can’t stop Politico from disclosing info allegedly stolen by hackers
![The Olympic Rings installed on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/08/The%20Olympic%20Rings%20installed%20on%20the%20Eiffel%20Tower%20ahead%20of%20the%20Paris%202024%20Olympic%20Games%20.jpg.webp?itok=VxRylzHv)
Olympic controversies underscore importance of free speech culture
![Path through the Bates College campus lined with birch trees in Lewiston Maine](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2024/08/Path%20through%20the%20Bates%20College%20campus%20lined%20with%20birch%20trees%20in%20Lewiston%20Maine.jpg.webp?itok=bAQdnJoM)