Oklahoma : The Most Conservative State in America

Located in the heart of the Bible Belt, the most religious area of ​​the United States, Oklahoma is considered to be among the most conservative states in America. Home to the highest number of prisoners sentenced to death in the country, Oklahoma also has some of the strictest abortion laws -and there are more women in prison here than anywhere else in the USA. Furthermore, a great deal of the residents in the state are sceptical of climate change – and they are mostly white, rural and Republican. It is also in Oklahoma, where you can buy a weapon of war at the supermarket.

In the last Presidential election, Donald Trump acquired more than 90% of the votes in various counties in Oklahoma. Travelling across the state, we met a sheriff who calls himself the toughest in the state. For him, strict punishments are the only course of action, even for minor offences. We also followed anti-abortion activists, some of whom advocate the death penalty for women who have abortions, and who also campaign to ban books which promote the rights and representation of the Black or LGBTQ+ community.

We also met the last clinic practicing abortion in Oklahoma – forced to close its doors following the latest anti-abortion laws after being open for fifty years. Now, women seeking an abortion have to drive hundreds of kilometres to neighbouring New Mexico, where it is still legal.