Right to Life march draws hundreds after court ruling
CHEYENNE — Carlos Bersabe carried a 60-pound rucksack and wooden cross during Saturday’s Right to Life March in Cheyenne, joining hundreds of participants advocating for the protection of life from conception to natural death.
A Catholic, Bersabe said that he views defending society’s most vulnerable, especially the unborn, as central to his faith.
He explained that the heavy load he carried symbolized bearing one another’s burdens and showing support to mothers in distress, letting them know they are not alone and have support available to them.
“They don’t have to suffer in silence, and certainly they don’t have to take the life of their unborn child,” he said.
Bersabe was one of about 375 participants who braved the blustery winter day for the event. Led by the Knights of Columbus Assembly 1223 honor guard, the mostly silent procession moved from Depot Square to the Supreme Court Building. The crowd recited prayers and observed a moment of silence before gathering at St. Mary’s Cathedral for an indoor rally.
The march took place just less than two weeks after the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that two abortion bans passed in 2023 violated the state Constitution by infringing on the right to make health care decisions, keeping abortion legal in Wyoming.
While Neva Ruso, president of Right to Life of Laramie County, called the decision a “devastating loss,” she was encouraged by the strong turnout at the march and rally.
“The culture of life is alive today here in Cheyenne,” Ruso told the packed church at the rally.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder was one of the participants marching down Capitol Avenue in support of the movement.
“The incredible turnout that we have shows that the values of the Wyoming people are to support the lives of the unborn,” Degenfelder said. “After the Supreme Court ruling, we have a lot of work to do, and that’s going to take the Legislature and Wyoming people stepping up.”
Inside the cathedral, Capital City Church Pastor Karl Pickard led the opening prayer, followed by state Sen. Lynn Hutchings, R-Cheyenne. Hutchings urged the crowd to shift from despair to action, telling the audience that God had equipped them for the fight ahead.
“We cannot stay cast down,” Hutchings declared. “God did not give us this whole armor to have us sit and sulk, but to be ready for battle.”
Secretary of State Chuck Gray delivered a rebuke of the Supreme Court decision during his address, framing it as a misuse of power that contradicted the will of Wyoming voters, who elected the legislators who passed the abortion bans.
“Somehow, just two weeks ago, next door, what was issued was a decision that took a constitutional amendment passed in opposition to Obamacare and somehow twisted and turned those words to strike down a statute passed by the people of the state of Wyoming through their elected representatives,” Gray said. “It is wrong.”
Gray urged the Legislature to continue to pass pro-life statutes “through the process that is laid out legislatively in the Wyoming State Constitution.”
“They will not break us of our will,” Gray concluded. “They will not break us of our strength in the truth.”
The keynote address came from professional surfer and mother of four, Bethany Hamilton. Known globally for surviving a shark attack at age 13, which was depicted in the film “Soul Surfer,” Hamilton wove her personal narrative of resilience into a defense of motherhood and the unborn.
She drew parallels between the uncertainty following her attack and the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy. Rather than letting insecurity define her life, she chose to trust in a higher purpose, Hamilton said.
“I trusted that God has given me a spirit of power and love and a sound mind, not a fear,” she said.
“One of my greatest missions is to inspire the next generation to look forward to motherhood,” Hamilton added. “My children are not a burden, but a blessing.”
Concluding her speech, she called on the pro-life community to offer support to women in crisis. She encouraged attendees to “fight with joy, with compassion and truth, and unwavering hope.”
“To any woman that’s struggling, that we could come alongside her as a reminder that God is greater than our fears, doubts and insecurities,” Hamilton said. “There’s always hope when God is on our side.”
This story was published on Jan. 20, 2026.