In response to a new Oklahoma legislation, some students at OU have planned a reproductive rights week beginning today that will culminate in a statewide protest on the state capitol Friday, according to a press release.

“This is not about being pro-choice or pro-life, Republican or Democrat,” Sandra Criswell, English and women’s and gender studies senior, stated in a press release. “We were hearing plenty of outrage, but there seemed to be no place to focus all of this energy. Hopefully, this protest will do that.”

House Bill 1595 is a new provision on Oklahoma abortion laws requiring an official record and reporting system for all abortions occurring within the state. This information would be made public and includes demographic information on the women.

Students from the OU Women’s and Gender Studies Student Association led this initiative, but students from other campuses across the state have joined with them against this legislation.

“There is power in numbers, so it is pertinent to come together, especially in a state that has continually ignored a serious call for change amongst its younger citizens,” Cait Thompson, Oklahoma State University graduate and founding member of Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice, stated in a press release. “We will no longer be silent or inactive.”

Pro-choice

Elizabeth Rucker, international and area studies and interdisciplinary perspectives on the environment sophomore, said she thinks reproductive rights week is a great way to start what could be an uncomfortable conversation but one that is important to address.

“I think this is a really good response to this bill,” said Rucker. “There wasn’t any publicity around this bill and there wasn’t a response in Oklahoma.”

Rucker said she views reproductive rights as a human right.

“Think of women in domestic violence situations or women who live in small spiritual towns,” she said. “It could be very damaging for them.”

Rucker said she really likes the idea of a march on the state capitol.

“What we’re hoping to get from the rally is to see people from everywhere there,” she said. “It’ll bring people together who are women’s activists in a place where women are shamed for having sex or getting an abortion.”

Rucker said she wants this state’s government to know that if they want their votes, they aren’t going to be able to pass this kind of legislation.

“I hope people on both sides — and this is a very hot-button issue — remember that we are talking about people and women who have had real experiences,” she said.

Rucker said she is trying to get the word out about the event.

“We need to respect everyone’s experiences and everyone’s viewpoints, and don’t attack people personally,” she said. “We need to listen to women because women are the ones not being listened to, on both sides of this, especially women who have had this experience.”

Lindsey Pease, letters junior, said she thinks Reproductive Rights Week is something really important and is glad the Women’s and Gender Studies Student Association have put so much work into it.

“Whether it is effective or not, I think it’s important that the Oklahoma community see that there is a body of women and men who find women’s rights important,” Pease said.

Pease said this legislature is something she had known about before, but she was excited to know that someone was doing something about it.

“I think it is imposing on women who are already in a fragile state, especially women who live in small towns,” Pease said.

Pease said she thinks this bill allows people in small towns to identify women, and she said it gives a lot of organizations within Oklahoma ways to judge other women based on race and class.

“I’m looking forward to educating other people, as well as myself, on this issue,” she said.

Pro-life

Cacey Myrick, international and area studies sophomore, said she believes once the reproduction actually happens, no one has the right to stop that.

“A lot of people, when they think of the right to reproduce, they think of the right to abort, but once you have an abortion something has already been reproduced,” she said.

Myrick said she thinks the information should be made public as long as the individual woman is held in confidentiality where the information would be pure statistics.

“I don’t think this restricts women’s rights because women still have the first choice of whether they have sex or not,” she said. “And whether or not to have an abortion would be a second choice.”

Myrick said in the matter of domestic violence, she thinks it is the responsibility of the mother to get herself out of that situation because it is harmful for anyone to be in.

“I think it’s a very hard issue that needs to be discussed,” she said. “But it needs to be discussed in a civil way and not so much by yelling like we saw a lot of at the ‘Justice for All’ event last year.”

Andrew Magnus, classics senior, said he thinks any bill that would slow down the abortion rate is good and worth any price.

“I believe when it comes to abortion, you have to look at the rights, not only of a woman, but the fetus, as well,” Magnus said.

Magnus said he realizes there are two sides to this issue, but if people view the fetus as a person then there shouldn’t ever really be more than one side.

“That’s a basic right, to live,” he said. “I view abortion as genocide because it kills millions of people.”

Magnus said he thinks women should have rights, but when it comes to abortion, unless the woman’s life is in danger if she carries the child to term, she shouldn’t have the right to kill it.

“If there is a question as to when a human being gains personhood, it would be truly horrifying to end that life,” he said. “Why would anyone take the chance to murder?”