January 21st marked The Women’s March, bringing tens of thousands of people together of all genders, races and ages in Washington D.C. and across the country.
So if you woke up Saturday morning and saw a massive swarm of people wearing pink hats and holding signs outside your home, that’s what was happening.
So if you woke up Saturday morning and saw a massive swarm of people wearing pink hats and holding signs outside your home, that’s what was happening.
However, it’s impossible NOT to avoid the news of The Woman’s March, since it was organized by a dozen independent coordinators at the state level to rally people to participate in the March. There was even a wide spread invitation via Facebook to encourage people to sign up for the March.
Now to some, a lot of people still have no idea what the Women’s March was about.
Were we just marching because we had lost the election to Trump?
No.
Were we just marching to be "complaining feminists?"
No.
Were we just marching because we were angry liberals?
No.
We were marching for A TON of reasons.
Just to name a few:
Planned Parenthood, the environment, college tuition, Black Lives Matter, the refugee crisis, women’s equality, same-sex marriage, people with disabilities, immigration, etc.
And that’s not even half of the topics that people recognized and defended during the Women’s March. So many people attended this March with their own beliefs and their own agenda to protect something that was within the same vein as human rights.
So, no.
It was not all about Trump. In fact, the Women’s March was so much more than an anti-Trump rally.
It was not all about being the “radical” man-hating feminists that many people mistaken for real feminism. In reality, this was a March influencing both men and women.
And it was not about shoving our liberal beliefs down other people’s throats. Just because some of the biggest marches took place in liberal cities across the country (i.e. Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Portland) didn’t mean that there were still some pretty big crowds that gathered together in states that are initially conservative. Look at Anchorage, Alaska. Topeka, Kansas. And Houston, Texas.
And if that’s not enough to impress you, there were even marches held internationally in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Russia, and more.
The March was honestly about a lot of different things. But most importantly, it was about unity, and coming together as a community.
Not to mention, having an awesome excuse to make the most creative posters for the March.
Now to some, a lot of people still have no idea what the Women’s March was about.
Were we just marching because we had lost the election to Trump?
No.
Were we just marching to be "complaining feminists?"
No.
Were we just marching because we were angry liberals?
No.
We were marching for A TON of reasons.
Just to name a few:
Planned Parenthood, the environment, college tuition, Black Lives Matter, the refugee crisis, women’s equality, same-sex marriage, people with disabilities, immigration, etc.
And that’s not even half of the topics that people recognized and defended during the Women’s March. So many people attended this March with their own beliefs and their own agenda to protect something that was within the same vein as human rights.
So, no.
It was not all about Trump. In fact, the Women’s March was so much more than an anti-Trump rally.
It was not all about being the “radical” man-hating feminists that many people mistaken for real feminism. In reality, this was a March influencing both men and women.
And it was not about shoving our liberal beliefs down other people’s throats. Just because some of the biggest marches took place in liberal cities across the country (i.e. Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Portland) didn’t mean that there were still some pretty big crowds that gathered together in states that are initially conservative. Look at Anchorage, Alaska. Topeka, Kansas. And Houston, Texas.
And if that’s not enough to impress you, there were even marches held internationally in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Russia, and more.
The March was honestly about a lot of different things. But most importantly, it was about unity, and coming together as a community.
Not to mention, having an awesome excuse to make the most creative posters for the March.
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Besides the posters, the other main attraction at the March were the pink hats that everyone was wearing. These hats looked like they were knitted beanies with cat ears. These were called “pussy hats.” These hats were worn during the rally as a symbol of solidarity amongst the marchers after Trump’s “pussy comment” went viral this past October.
So what kinds of people attended this March?
Well, first and foremost, there were four different types of people:
Type #1: You are a man/woman who did participate in the March on Saturday, and did your research and knew exactly what you were rallying for.
Congratulations! You go Glenn Coco!
Score: 5 pink hats for you.
Well, first and foremost, there were four different types of people:
Type #1: You are a man/woman who did participate in the March on Saturday, and did your research and knew exactly what you were rallying for.
Congratulations! You go Glenn Coco!
Score: 5 pink hats for you.
 |  |  |  |  |
Type #2: You are a man/woman who did participate in the March on Saturday, but were unsure as to what you were rallying for.
All right, so not quite as polished, but you made the effort to come out to the March anyway.
Score: 3 pink hats for you.
All right, so not quite as polished, but you made the effort to come out to the March anyway.
Score: 3 pink hats for you.
 |
Type #3: You are a man/woman who didn’t participate in the March, but you knew what the agenda was for the March.
You might’ve been sick that day. You might be claustrophobic and can’t handle big crowds. Or you might’ve had to work that day, but you did your homework nonetheless. Good for you!
Score: 4 1/2 pink hats for you.
You might’ve been sick that day. You might be claustrophobic and can’t handle big crowds. Or you might’ve had to work that day, but you did your homework nonetheless. Good for you!
Score: 4 1/2 pink hats for you.
 |
Type #4: You are a man/women who didn’t participate in the March, and you have no idea or have some preconceived ideas of what you might think the Women’s March was actually about.
Seriously? You couldn’t take 5 minutes to sit down and just go online?
Score: No pink hats for you.
Seriously? You couldn’t take 5 minutes to sit down and just go online?
Score: No pink hats for you.
All right, so addressing the people who fall under the Type 4 category, the Women’s March was much more than what many people generally believed it to be about. Granted, many women were absolutely horrified that Trump had won the general election because his policies could be a huge setback for women’s health and rights. However, that being said, the March was not all anti-Trump. Instead, the March itself was an affirmative message to the new administration that “women’s rights are human rights.” More so, that is why people decided to called it a “march” or a “rally,” instead of a protest. Although, for many, they were protesting against the new administration’s agenda.
Furthermore, wouldn’t the message be kinda flat if this March was primarily a “Trump is bad” protest?
Well think about it.
If the March was just a protest against him, then that only derails the message of what the March was really about.
So what exactly was the purpose of the March?
#1: Shared Humanity
Furthermore, wouldn’t the message be kinda flat if this March was primarily a “Trump is bad” protest?
Well think about it.
If the March was just a protest against him, then that only derails the message of what the March was really about.
So what exactly was the purpose of the March?
#1: Shared Humanity
The March aimed (and succeeded) to bring together people of all genders and backgrounds to proclaims its goal “to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination."
So what exactly does this mean?
According to the Women’s March platform, it is a list of demands that includes incremental goals and specific actions that would benefit the rights for all. Among the statement of principals that were called to be recognized:
Freedom from sexual violence, ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee equal protection based on gender, comprehensive reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant and refugee rights.
In summary, just granting everyone the same freedom as everyone else.
#2: Differences in Priorities and Beliefs
So what exactly does this mean?
According to the Women’s March platform, it is a list of demands that includes incremental goals and specific actions that would benefit the rights for all. Among the statement of principals that were called to be recognized:
Freedom from sexual violence, ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee equal protection based on gender, comprehensive reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrant and refugee rights.
In summary, just granting everyone the same freedom as everyone else.
#2: Differences in Priorities and Beliefs
This March was neither part of a liberal agenda, nor was it established to be part of a conservative agenda. Instead, the March’s aim was to be a unifying agenda.
Again, if you went into this March thinking that this was only an anti-Trump protest, you are sadly mistaken.
While it’s safe to assume that within the sea of pink, many people who showed up to the march would rally for the same thing. But the truth of the matter was, there were definitely people who cared primarily about one or two of the many messages that the March’s platform supported, while there were others who disagreed.
For example, within the crowd, there were some pro-life advocates who joined the March because they were just as disgusted by Trump’s comments (as any woman would be) and agreed with some topics of the March’s platform. Yes, they may have been against abortion, and this topic alone could’ve potentially divide people, but it didn’t. Instead it brought both advocates together because they could agree with more than just one thing that the Woman’s March stood for.
Whether they were pro-life or pro-choice, they nevertheless all fell under the same umbrella as marching for human rights.
#3: Everyone Coming Together
Again, if you went into this March thinking that this was only an anti-Trump protest, you are sadly mistaken.
While it’s safe to assume that within the sea of pink, many people who showed up to the march would rally for the same thing. But the truth of the matter was, there were definitely people who cared primarily about one or two of the many messages that the March’s platform supported, while there were others who disagreed.
For example, within the crowd, there were some pro-life advocates who joined the March because they were just as disgusted by Trump’s comments (as any woman would be) and agreed with some topics of the March’s platform. Yes, they may have been against abortion, and this topic alone could’ve potentially divide people, but it didn’t. Instead it brought both advocates together because they could agree with more than just one thing that the Woman’s March stood for.
Whether they were pro-life or pro-choice, they nevertheless all fell under the same umbrella as marching for human rights.
#3: Everyone Coming Together
Even though the name of the March’s platform was centered around women, men were also welcomed and participated in the March. But not just men, other individuals who identified as non-binary genders as well joined. Everyone rallied together to stand up for other marginalized groups and pressing issues. The Women’s March itself became a meeting point for all people from many diverse groups to raise their voices and bring to light topics that mattered to them.
Now even though, everyone who came to this March, were rallying for a different agenda, it’s safe to say that everyone across the globe were united under Trump’s win.
While the March’s platform doesn’t mention the new president by name, the connection to his win and the validation of what his administration stands for has fueled a lot of the energy behind this March. Many Americans may have been motivated specifically by the leaked tape back in October to become politically active in support of woman and human rights, and clearly the March provided an opportunity to do just that.
Now even though, everyone who came to this March, were rallying for a different agenda, it’s safe to say that everyone across the globe were united under Trump’s win.
While the March’s platform doesn’t mention the new president by name, the connection to his win and the validation of what his administration stands for has fueled a lot of the energy behind this March. Many Americans may have been motivated specifically by the leaked tape back in October to become politically active in support of woman and human rights, and clearly the March provided an opportunity to do just that.
So the Women’s March was a rally that supported more than just one thing. The purpose of the March was a to protect legislation and policies regarding human rights. Different people who marched, rallied for a range of different issues.
To be clear, the march was not an anti-Trump protest to root for him to fail as president. On the contrary, it was a March with a mission to stand up for equality during the next four years, and preserving democracy and the First Amendment.
Scarlett Johansson said it best when she addressed Trump during the Women’s March in Washington DC:
"I didn't vote for you. But I want to be able to support you. But first I ask that you support me.”
I’m happy to say that I had to privilege to join the Women’s March in Boston. That morning, I left my boyfriend’s apartment at 8 o’clock to take an Uber back home to change into the only electric pink outfit I could find: My fleece sweater. My roommate and I boarded a crowded Green Line train that was leaving from Cleveland Circle to the Boston Commons with passengers wearing pink hats (which became the day’s uniform) and carrying sings.
It was then I realized that we were not just joining a march.
We were going to be part of a movement.
To be clear, the march was not an anti-Trump protest to root for him to fail as president. On the contrary, it was a March with a mission to stand up for equality during the next four years, and preserving democracy and the First Amendment.
Scarlett Johansson said it best when she addressed Trump during the Women’s March in Washington DC:
"I didn't vote for you. But I want to be able to support you. But first I ask that you support me.”
I’m happy to say that I had to privilege to join the Women’s March in Boston. That morning, I left my boyfriend’s apartment at 8 o’clock to take an Uber back home to change into the only electric pink outfit I could find: My fleece sweater. My roommate and I boarded a crowded Green Line train that was leaving from Cleveland Circle to the Boston Commons with passengers wearing pink hats (which became the day’s uniform) and carrying sings.
It was then I realized that we were not just joining a march.
We were going to be part of a movement.
Cited Works:
The Women’s March on Washington Official Website: https://www.womensmarch.com
Scarlett Johansson’s Speech at Women’s March in Washington DC: http://www.inquisitr.com/3906844/scarlett-johansson-to-donald-trump-at-womens-march-in-washington-i-want-to-be-able-to-support-you/
Photo Credit by Katie Clancy
The Women’s March on Washington Official Website: https://www.womensmarch.com
Scarlett Johansson’s Speech at Women’s March in Washington DC: http://www.inquisitr.com/3906844/scarlett-johansson-to-donald-trump-at-womens-march-in-washington-i-want-to-be-able-to-support-you/
Photo Credit by Katie Clancy
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