‘We’re Not Going Anywhere’

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September 2020, Tulsa attorney Kensey Wright saw what was coming.

“I knew that once we had lost her in the Supreme Court that we likely lost our right to abortion,” Wright says. “As a mom to girls, it really made me want to use my voice and do everything I could to help people in Oklahoma still have access to reproductive healthcare.”

Just weeks after Ginsburg’s death, President Donald Trump tapped Amy Coney Barrett for the court. In June 2022, Barrett joined the 6-3 majority in deciding Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which found the U.S. Constitution does not provide the right to abortion. The decision overruled both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992), and left the legality of abortion up to each state.

Wright quickly got involved with Tulsa Women’s March and began helping with protests, alongside volunteers from Tulsa Women’s Clinic. Although the clinic shut down after the Dobbs decision, Wright’s involvement paralleled that of the Roe Fund, a pro-choice organization in Oklahoma that provides information and financial assistance to people seeking reproductive care. She later joined the board, and now serves as vice president.

Abortion was already restricted in Oklahoma, but it became illegal in virtually all cases after Dobbs.

Although the state technically allows for abortion to save the pregnant person’s life, Wright explains that exception is far from simple. “A lot of providers are unclear as to what that means, so we’ve had instances with women essentially having to get to a point that they are bleeding out and their lives are seriously at risk before there can be medical intervention,” she says. The Oklahoma State Medical Association reports a 4% decline in physicians in the state within two years of Dobbs, and the Commonwealth Fund ranked Oklahoma as the 48th worst state for women’s health and reproductive care, citing, in part, a drop in OB-GYNs willing to work in the state. “Providers are still very worried and terrified that they are going to be sued or prosecuted and they’re going to have to prove the medical emergency as a way to defend themselves.”

The Roe Fund, originated under a different name, has been operating since the 1970s. Wright describes it as a tight-knit organization where everyone shares responsibilities.

“Our main goal is to fund clinics outside of the state,” she says. “There’s nothing that we can do within the state of Oklahoma, so really everyone’s jobs involve finding new ways to try to bring in more funding, communicate with clinics in other states, participate in meetings and review the financials every month.”
Wright says the Roe Fund is careful about the information they provide and have had plans in place in recent years in case those involved are arrested. But despite abortion being outlawed in the state, she says the organization does not receive much criticism or face much opposition. “I think that says something about how people actually view abortion,” she says. “It’s not this horrific, evil thing. It’s often a medical necessity, and it’s something that is important to have safe access to for all people.”

The work has only strengthened her convictions. She wishes more people had empathy for those considering abortion, understanding that it’s typically taken very seriously. Families may be under financial constraints, an individual may be in a domestic violence situation, or a pregnancy may have been the result of a rape or incest.

Wright points out that Oklahoma has laws that are hostile to people who are poor or LGBTQ+, and that restrict mental health services, financial assistance and daycare support. “One thing that I’ve realized in this state is a lot of the people that disagree with abortion … tend to stop caring about that life once it actually becomes a living, breathing person,” she says.

Wright has also seen abortion come up in her family law practice. Because the issue now has more “teeth” in the state, she says, a party may try to weaponize the idea that abortion was considered or was obtained. There have also been cases where incapacitated adults have been sexually assaulted and have become pregnant, leading to a complicated process of trying to get them medical care in another state.
The best way the Roe Fund can continue to serve Oklahoma, Wright says, is through block grants to out-of-state providers who will use the funding to help Oklahomans who travel there for care.

“We’re looking forward to, at some point, having the right to abortion access fully restored,” she says. “Until then, we’re not going anywhere.”