Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in largest movement in United States History. About 2.9 million people marched on January 21, 2017 all across the globe- even in Antarctica! Although I wasn't able to go to the march in Washington, D.C., the sister march in Philadelphia was also a huge success.
I've seen many people question the march's motives since then. Many people believe that women already have their rights, and there's nothing for us to "throw a tantrum" about.
Here's the deal.
We marched for marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ community and women of color. Although in theory, women technically have "equal" rights, that is not the case in reality. Women STILL make less money than men, and even worse, women of color make less than white women. This website is a great resource for understanding the wage gap in America.
We marched for a woman's right to choose. The new administration has talked about defunding Planned Parenthood and making abortions illegal, which I believe would be a huge mistake. Making abortions illegal will not stop abortions from happening; it just stops safe abortions from happening.
We marched for Muslims and other diverse groups of faith. This past election cycle has blamed Muslims for most of our problems. In turn, many Americans now associate Muslims with fear and hatred. We marched to show Americans that not all Muslims are terrorists.
We marched for the victims of sexual assault. There have been many examples of Trump making disgusting comments about women, and boasting about nonconsensual encounters with women. (i.e. the Trump tapes... enough said.) We marched to show these victims that they are not alone.
We marched for people with disabilities. Remember the clip of Trump mocking the disabled reporter? Many people have tried to dismiss this behavior because "he makes those gestures while talking about everyone", but that still doesn't make it okay. He clearly mocked the reporter, there's no way to argue it.
We marched to show the Trump Administration that we will not allow the hateful, insulting, and demonizing rhetoric is not going to be tolerated. We marched to show the administration that we will not allow them to further marginalize already marginalized groups. We marched to show them that we will hold them accountable for their actions.
Regardless of how other people may feel about it, I am so glad that I participated in this protest. Initially, I was nervous about riots and hateful rhetoric, but I was completely wrong. There was no rioting. There was no hate. In fact, everyone was so friendly that you could feel the peaceful energy as we marched from Logan Square to the Art Museum. It made me feel like I was doing something about this election, instead of sitting around and complaining on social media. Overall, this protest has gotten me more involved in politics and protesting in general. I will not be a bystander anymore.
Some people think that the marches were stupid and that they aren't going to accomplish anything, but I remain hopeful. In a way, I am happy that this election came about because it was able to bring so many people together to promote change. It made me realize that not all hope is lost- we are just getting started.
(Pictures taken by Kara Barber)
