Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Tulsa Pro-Choice Advocates Organizing

A meeting protesting the recent passage of two anti-abortion bills will be held on Monday, May 10th, 7:00 p.m. at Fellowship Congregational Church, 2900 So. Harvard, Tulsa.

The meeting will feature a forum entitled “Ethics, The Law and Reproductive Health."
The purpose of this meeting is to educate the public about how these bills intrude on personal privacy by putting the state between doctors and their patients, and to develop a plan of action to counter this type of legislative harassment.

In addition, a panel will discuss the only piece of legislation still waiting to be passed, House Bill 3284. This bill will jeopardize the right to privacy of women obtaining abortions in Oklahoma. If passed, House Bill 3284 will impose extensive new reporting requirements on doctors and patients. It will violate patient privacy and confidentiality by requiring doctors who provide abortions to report personal details of their patients' intimate lives to the state. It will require the state to make this information available to the public by posting it on the internet.

The meeting is sponsored by the Oklahoma Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, Oklahoma Reproductive Health Coalition, Pastors for Peace, American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, NE Okla. Chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, Reproductive Services for Women, and Fellowship Congregational Church.

Forum participants will include:

Nancy Kachel, Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma
Linda Meek, Clinic Director
Tamya Cox, Legislative Counsel, ACLU of Oklahoma
Caroline Abbott, Attorney and Patient Advocate
Martha Hardwick, Oklahoma Counsel with the Center for Reproductive Rights
Rev. Paul Ashby, Minister of Fellowship Congregational Church

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