Relocate women's softball championship due to state's abortion ban, professor argues
Oklahoma now has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country after its trigger law took effect following the Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade.
According to a University of Maryland professor, this is grounds to remove the Women’s College World Series from Oklahoma, where it's been held for over twenty years.
Oklahoma now has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country after its trigger law took effect following the Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade.
According to Kevin Blackistone, this is grounds to remove the Women’s College World Series from Oklahoma, where it’s been held for over twenty years.
Blackistone is a professor of Journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
In a June 9 article for the Washington Post that preceded the June 24 ruling, Blackistone began with stories of several female athletes that claim to have needed an abortion to compete and complete college.
“All of which is why this season’s Women’s College World Series — scheduled to conclude this week in a best-of-three series between defending champion Oklahoma and Texas — should be the last we witness in Oklahoma City, where it has been staged every year except one since 1990,” he wrote.
The abortion ban in Oklahoma outlaws abortion entirely and makes it a felony to perform an abortion. Blackistone called this an “anathema” for women’s sports.
“In short, the state of Oklahoma just became a state anathema to women’s athletes. Therefore, it disqualified itself as a host for women’s sports,” he argued.
The Women’s College World Series has been hosted in Oklahoma City every year spare 1990. It recently concluded its 2022 tournament in mid-June.
Blackistone discussed a potential new location for the home of women’s softball. Louisiana was removed from the list due to an abortion bill that was signed by the governor on Tuesday.
“But not all are worthy hosts. The Louisiana legislature on Monday sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) an antiabortion bill, not unlike that Oklahoma lawmakers crafted. And Edwards is expected to sign it.”
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He also removed Florida, Arizona, and Texas as possibilities.
Campus Reform reached out to Blackistone, but he declined to comment.
Similar laws have been passed in other states and 26 out of 50 states could also outlaw abortion now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.
Campus Reform reached out to the University of Maryland and will update this article accordingly.
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