Democrats hear from OBGYN about reproductive healthcare at 39th annual Roosevelt-Kennedy Dinner

By Matthew Young, RealWV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – “When I knew my son was gay – before he told me but I knew he was gay – I always loved people, and I took care of them without judgment.” 

That’s what Cincinnati-based OBGYN, Dr. Lori Tucker, told attendees of the West Virginia Democratic Party’s 39th annual Roosevelt – Kennedy Dinner last Friday night in Charleston.  

“But when the words ‘not my effing son’ came out of my mouth,” Tucker continued, “And it was coming from a place of Christianity, from goodness, from religion, from righteousness – those words came out of my mouth, and I heard how un-Christian it was.”

Born and raised in West Virginia, Tucker initially earned her degree in electrical engineering, before choosing to pursue a career in medicine. Now a specialist in the fields of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tucker was named one of 2013’s “Distinguished Alumni” by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). 

During her time in medical school, Tucker was a divorced single-mother, and, as she puts it, a ‘recovering Republican.’

Now happily remarried and a nationally-recognized leader in hormonal-management and reproductive care, Tucker appeared at the Roosevelt – Kennedy Dinner to share her experiences and expertise with West Virginia’s Democratic leadership. 

“Even though I’m now in Ohio, I still want to take care of West Virginians,” Tucker said. “This is home, and it was always my mission to take care of the people who nurtured me growing up.”

Tucker spoke of her love for her patients, and her dedication to their care, but noted, “Sometimes, though, we have to have hard conversations.”

“One of those hard conversations is when they’re (patients) planning the termination of a pregnancy,” Tucker said. “One of those conversations led me to take care of a patient who had something called ‘Sirenomelia.’ Sirens are mermaids, and this was a mermaid baby.”

“This baby had no kidneys, no bladder, and one leg straight down the middle,” Tucker continued. “No lungs, and no way of living. What is suffering but to make that woman continue that pregnancy, only to have her baby die in her arms?”

“Compassionately, I wanted to love that woman through the hardest time in her life,” Tucker added, noting it was the patient’s desire to terminate the pregnancy. 

According to Tucker, she apprised the West Virginia-based hospital’s Ethics Committee of the patient’s situation. Initially, the committee was in favor of Tucker’s proposed abortion, before ultimately rescinding their approval. 

“That was hard because I was advocating for the patient,” Tucker said. “And that puts a target on your back. Small town hospitals don’t always see it the way I saw it, and I didn’t see that target coming.”

“You know what else puts a target on your back?” Tucker asked those in attendance. “Standing up before Senate and House committees – standing up and talking about why reproductive rights need to continue. Why we shouldn’t be imposing limits on gestational-age.”

“Nobody in this country is chopping off babies’ heads,” Tucker continued. “There are no late-term abortions. That’s a myth.” 

While providing testimony to the West Virginia Legislature, Tucker explained, she ran afoul of medical colleague and Mercer County’s Republican Delegate, Joe Ellington.

“He (Ellington) failed our profession – he failed the women of West Virginia – when he failed to educate his colleagues in the House,” Tucker said. “I didn’t make any new friends, but I stood up for what I believe in.”

Tucker then took aim at former President Donald Trump, and the undoing of national abortion protections, saying, “I would have never believed that the President of the United States would have an impact on Roe v. Wade – I never thought that I would see that taken away, and see women’s rights stripped away so intimately.”

“I don’t need his protection,” Tucker said. “Mr. Trump, I don’t need your little hands grabbing me by any body part, and I will gladly decline your protection.”

While inclement weather prevented many guests – including keynote speaker and Governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear – from attending, gubernatorial nominee Steve Williams, U.S. Senate nominee Glenn Elliot, U.S. House of Representatives nominee Steve Wendelin, and several other state and local democratic candidates were on-hand. Also in attendance was Independent U.S. House of Representatives candidate Wes Holden. 

Although Beshear was unable to attend the event in person, the Kentucky Governor did appear via a pre-recorded video message. During his recorded remarks, Beshear confirmed his intention to be in attendance at the 40th annual Roosevelt – Kennedy Dinner in 2025.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Early voting in West Virginia begins on Wednesday, October 23.