Planned Parenthood Generation Action is an on-campus organization that discusses topics like reproductive rights.
According to the Planned Parenthood Generation Action website, Planned Parenthood has more than 350 on-campus Generation Action political groups across the country. Generation Action was established at SF State in October 2018.
Founders Alyssa Aválos, Citlali Mosqueda and Nettie Bonds began Generation Action at SF State to give students an opportunity to be politically active with issues pertaining to women and LGBTQ rights. According to Aválos, the student organization gathers to take part in marches, rallies and events in the community. On April 6, Generation Action marched at the San Francisco Walk Against Rape. The march began at the Women’s Building and continued throughout streets of the Mission district.
According to Aválos, it was Generation Action’s first time walking with the San Francisco Walk Against Rape.
“It was amazing […] it was actually my first time marching with them,” said Aválos. “It’s really nice seeing all the signs and everything.”
At the start of the march, attendants made signs, did face paint and listened to live music. Signs throughout the march read “Hands Off My Body” and “End Sexual Assault.”
Janelle White, director of the San Francisco Walk Against Rape, was happy to bring together activists of communities all over the Bay Area, college students or not. According to White, around 500 people participated in the 2.2 mile walk.
“We wanted to have something that would bring awareness to sexual assault in a way that could bring all various parts of the community together,” White said.
Aválos, Mosqueda and Bonds hope to spread their intersectional outlook on reproductive rights when hosting on-campus meetings and engaging with the outside community. According to Mosqueda, it’s important for Generation Action members to be culturally sensitive.
“We are an opening for students to get involved and learn about different intersectional topics,” Mosqueda said.
According to Aválos, Generation Action’s political advocacy impaired their ability to become a recognized student organization right away.
“Since we are so political, it was kind of a big decision of [if] we want to be a recognized organization because there [are] things we can’t do now,” Aválos said.
Aválos describes not being allowed to protest now as a recognized student organization.
In the six month processes of becoming a recognized student organization, their passion for their cause never died, according to Bonds.
“I am lucky to be passionate about the organization because it made all this hard work worth it,” Bonds said.
Generation Action hopes that they can create a space where students can feel comfortable to come to discuss issues like reproductive rights, women’s right and issues that are happening on campus at their meetings and events.
“What I hope students will get is an organization that they can feel comfortable coming to them with political issues […] we want to take those issues and mobilize a project around it whether that be a protest, march [or] something educational [or] holding a workshop,” Aválos said. “We want to create spaces that can actually create change.”
Generation Actions hopes to continue sparking activism in SF State students and eventually have an on-campus office.
