Metro Pro-Choice Advocates Push For Action Ahead Of Election Day

At the Oklahoma Capitol Sunday, a crowd of several hundred rallied to protest the historic overturn of Roe versus Wade on Friday.

Women’s March of Oklahoma coordinated the rally.

Oklahoma City joined cities across the country protesting states using the ruling to restrict access to abortion care.

Fear – for the future.

“Its very, very scary,” said Jaylyn Gardner, an organizer with Black Lives Matter and other advocacy efforts.

And anger, about the past.

“They’ve been doing this to brown and black women, limiting our healthcare and our abortion access for years,” Gardner said.

“Abortion care has been restricted for indigenous people for a long time. There’s something called the Hyde Admendment that prohibits federal dollars to be used for abortion care through Indian Health Services,” said Sarah Adams, co-founder of Matriarch, an indigenous women’s group.

One generation, concerned for the next.

“In my lifetime, I never thought this would be something that I would be seeing, that my daughter would have less rights than I do, Adams said.

“I, for my entire life, have been able to receive a medical procedure if I needed one, and now my daughter and my grandchildren have lost that right,” said Chris Walker, a grandmother and protester.

Wealth inequities already playing a role in who can access an abortion – and who can’t.

“Oklahoma has been without abortion access since May 22 because of our state laws. What we continue to see is that people who can afford to travel are traveling outside of our state to get the care that they need,” said ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox Toure.

She says those that can’t afford it are being forced to carry the pregnancy to term or finding ways to terminate on unsafe websites.

Organizers urged the crowd to vote in Tuesday’s primary election.

“This is my first year voting, and the fact that I have to vote for my own rights to come back is frustrating, but I’m glad that I have the chance to exercise my right to vote,” said Lesley Wiewel.