NEWSKate Walsh Partakes In Bristol Palin Protest At Washington University
Jan. 28 2011, Published 12:18 p.m. ET
After protests broke out at Washington University, Bristol Palin was forced to cancel a speaking engagement at the school about abstinence. And amongs the protesters was Private Practice star Kate Walsh!
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"The student group that invited Bristol Palin to come... has mutually agreed with her not to proceed with a contract regarding Palin's participation in a panel discussion at Washington University on Feb. 7," reads a statement from the university says (via E! News).
"Student-generated funds" of $20,000 were being used for the panel and undergrads were not happy a portion would go to paying Bristol's fee.
So, "the Student Health Advisory Committee and Palin decided that the message that they intended on sharing would be overshadowed by controversy."
As a Teen Abstinence Ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, Bristol encourages abstinence to prevent teen pregnancy. Even though, she herself had her son, Tripp, at the age of 17.
Since their money was being used for the event, students reportedly decided they didn't want Bristol to lecture them.
And they had the support of Planned Parenthood member, Kate, via Twitter.
"Welcome to the Idiocracy!" Walsh Tweeted in response to the planned protests.
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Students organized a "No Thanks" Facebook petition demanding their money be spent on "competitive debate groups" and some protesters held signs that said, "Can I get paid for an accident too?"
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So what does Bristol think of the protests?
"Bristol was never set to speak. She was in talks with the university, they had invited her to speak as part of a panel, but she had not yet accepted," her rep told E! News. "Basically what happened is that the university rescinded their invitation."
"She's disappointed in the manner in which this occurred. This is a university that has a proud tradition of encouraging free debate and ideas, and basically one of two things happened: it either bowed to pressure from people who didn't want to hear what she had to say, or it bowed to pressure from those who simply don't like her last name," Bristol's rep added. "Nothing can be accomplished by shutting down a speaker and their ideas."
Whose side are you on?
