Hundreds of women gathered at the Oklahoma state Capitol on Tuesday to protest a personhood bill, SB 1433, which states that life begins at conception and would give rights to a fertilized egg. The bill proposes to give “unborn children at every stage of development all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents” of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Senator Judy McIntyre (D) stated, “I was so excited about the fact that the women in Oklahoma have finally begun to wake up and fight for their rights.” The measure, introduced by Senator Brian Crain (R-Tulsa), passed in the Senate and waits approve in the House, where it is expected to be passed. The Oklahoma State Medical Association has come out against the bill since it could ban women from accessing contraception.
If passed in the Senate and signed by the Governor, the law would directly challenge the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in the US and perhaps Griswold v. Connecticut, which struck down state laws banning birth control.
