January 20, 2018 is a day that I most certainly won’t forget, for it became one of the largest political demonstrations that I have ever attended. It was an unseasonably warm but perfect day for the first anniversary of the Women’s March here in Chicago. If anyone remembers the same marches from last year, then you would know how incredibly huge every march in every town across the globe was, with some estimates reporting over 5 million people demonstrating worldwide last year.

Though I couldn’t attend the phenomenon last year because I was working, this year I had the opportunity to partake in this incredible people-powered movement. Officials in the city have estimated over 300,000 people had descended upon downtown to partake in the 2018 Women’s March here in Chicago. From the witty signs to the clever chants, it was safe to say that this year’s turnout was a continuing sign that the Trump administration shouldn’t disregard the people that they are ignoring.

The Women’s March is a testament to the notion that when we collectively put our trust in the people, whether they be black, Latin, Asian, indigenous, LGBTQ+, disabled, Jewish, Muslim, or any other group demonized by this administration, then we will most certainly win. Time and time again this past year we have seen the Trump White House do the unthinkable, from sympathizing with Nazis to implementing bans that prohibit Muslims from entering the United States.

But this year’s Women’s March had proved that 365 days later, mind you in the middle of a government shutdown, that the people as a collective whole are putting up a fight.

But in my view, as much as I admire the work, organization, and mobility that has been put into making this historic demonstration happen, the Women’s March needs to do more to be inclusive and intersectional.

Now you may be wondering, “Well, Pat, wasn’t the Women’s March organized by three women that are Muslim, black and Hispanic?” The answer is yes, it most certainly was, namely Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory, and Carmen Perez. But while it’s great to know that three women of color had pioneered this international phenomenon, the issue of inclusivity still needs to be addressed in a more thorough and constructive way.

While marching in Chicago on that sunny Saturday afternoon, there were a lot of references that included some play on cisgender women’s anatomy, such as signs saying “Pussy Grabs Back” or the unofficial symbol of the march, the “pussy hats”, which are the pink hats meant to resemble a uterus.

While it’s great that women are sounding a message that they are proud of their bodies and dignity, especially after the Trump "Access Hollywood" tape and the #MeToo campaign, these kinds of signs and hats are problematic because they exclude many groups of women. When one makes references to “pussy”, it is exclusionary to women who don’t have “pussies”, mostly trans women.

Similarly, the pink “pussy hats” are problematic because not all uteruses happen to be pink but some women of color argue that the hat has become a symbol of white feminism, feminism that only addresses issues pertaining to white women.

Let me be clear: the Women's March is in my view one of the greatest instances where we see what happens when the people organize and create a mass movement.

But representation matters.

I know this for a fact, as someone who didn't see a lot of Asian personalities on TV growing up. In order for the Women's March to be more effective, the people who fuel this movement need to listen and have a conversation on issues that may not personally affect them but affect their brothers and sisters in more painful ways.

When will we see more signs that remember the alarming number of black trans women killed last year and those who aren't accounted for because they are misgendered? When will we see more signs calling for the release of Ahed Tamimi, a Palestinian teen facing a lengthy prison sentence after defending herself from abusive Israeli troops?

When will we signs that call to end the fetishization of Asian women and portray them in non-sexualized ways in the media? When will we see signs acknowledging that many of the household feminist names we hear often pushed women of color to the sidelines?

When I tell people that as much as I love the Women's March but it needs to be improved, I often come off as sexist or even "mansplaining". But when you look at the signs that often ignore the more explicit issues a lot of our brothers and sisters are going through, it becomes apparent that while we have these demonstrations as big as they can possibly be, then we should all collectively advocate for messages that can be conveyed on these audiences. If we do that, and once again show the power of the people, united as one, then I think that the Women's March can be bigger than this year's turnout and last year's combined.

With that being said, that's all I have. Now let's organize and march on.