YWCA Tulsa

Today, we pause to remember and honor the brave heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage will never be forgotten. 🇺🇸

YWCA Tulsa offices and fitness centers are closed today.

Meet our star student, Marialcira! At 80 years old, she has been enrolled in ESL since 2024. This year, her class won the Most Burlington English Hours award and received an exclusive party hosted by Burlington English. Learn about our ESL classes: https://www.ywcatulsa.org/edu

YWCA Tulsa Gyms will be closed on Monday, May 25 in honor of Memorial Day.

YWCA Tulsa Gyms will be closed on Monday, May 25 in honor of Memorial Day.

YWCA Tulsa proudly supports peace, justice, freedom and dignity for ALL, and we stand with Oklahomans for Equality. Every person deserves dignity, safety and access to health care.

Letter From the Executive Director
Update on SB 904 & Request for Immediate Support - Gifts Matched Up to $10,000

Dear Friends,

Last week, Senate Bill 904 was signed into law in Oklahoma. The legislation restricts the use of state funds, facilities, and resources for gender-affirming healthcare, creating new barriers for transgender Oklahomans seeking medically necessary care and increasing uncertainty for healthcare providers across the state.

While SB 904 does not appear to constitute a total statewide ban on gender-affirming care for adults, its impact will still be significant. By restricting how publicly funded healthcare systems and providers can offer care, the law is already disrupting access to services and creating confusion for patients and families.

Last week, we shared Oklahomans for Equality’s formal statement opposing the bill and reaffirming our commitment to continuing care through our clinic. Today, I want to share more about what we are already seeing on the ground, and ask for your help.

The impact of SB 904 is already being felt. Since the bill’s signing, publicly funded healthcare providers and institutions across Oklahoma have begun referring patients to our clinic as they navigate new restrictions on care. At the same time, we are hearing from transgender Oklahomans and their families who are frightened, uncertain, and trying to understand what access to healthcare will look like moving forward.

We anticipate a significant increase in demand for appointments, care coordination, patient navigation, and financial assistance in the weeks and months ahead. As a small community clinic, we operate with a strong commitment to keeping care accessible and affordable, which means increased demand places immediate strain on both staff capacity and financial assistance resources.

For many people, the barriers created by this legislation are not abstract. Delayed care, increased travel, higher out-of-pocket costs, and fear of losing access altogether place enormous strain on individuals and families who are simply trying to access medically necessary healthcare. Too often, those most impacted are people with the fewest financial resources and the fewest alternatives for care.

Our commitment remains unchanged: our clinic is open, and we will continue doing everything we can to ensure transgender Oklahomans have access to affirming, compassionate care.

But we cannot do this alone.

Thanks to a generous matching challenge from Dennis Neill and John Southard, every dollar donated, up to $10,000, will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact of your gift.
Because demand for care is already increasing, early support will directly determine how many patients we are able to assist in the coming months. Your gift today will help ensure that cost is not the reason someone loses access to care. Donations will support appointments, labs, and other critical healthcare and clinic operational needs as demand continues to rise.

Oklahoma already ranks 47th in the nation for health outcomes. At a time when our state faces healthcare workforce shortages and growing mental health needs, restricting access to evidence-based care only deepens the crisis for vulnerable Oklahomans.

Healthcare decisions should be made by patients, families, and qualified medical providers, not politicians. Every person deserves dignity, safety, and access to medically appropriate healthcare.
Your support sends a powerful message to transgender Oklahomans that they are not alone and that they are valued, supported, and will continue to be cared for by this community.

With gratitude,
Hailey Briggs
Executive Director
Oklahomans for Equality

🔗: https://okeq.org/donate/

Big congratulations to our graduates! We are honored to be a part of your journey.

Congratulations to the graduates of our inaugural ESL Beginner Course cohort! 🎓

Over the past 10 weeks, these dedicated learners showed commitment, and perseverance as they built new language skills, gained confidence, and strengthened connections within our community

We are proud to celebrate this exciting partnership between the Parent Resource Center and the YWCA Tulsa whose collaboration made this program possible. This first cohort has set the foundation for many more success stories to come!

Please join us in applauding our graduates for their hard work and determination. We can’t wait to see what you all accomplish next! 🎉

It's not every day that a presentation includes specially designed t-shirts! During an ESL class presentation, Consuelo Arenas and Blanca Bojorquez pulled out all the stops for their talk on Route 66.