Women’s March 2017

Friday night while I was out, drinking Crown Vanilla & Coke and dancing to trap music, my sister sent me a text.

“Let’s go to the Women’s March tomorrow.”

Ok sure. I already had a Women & Technology event but yeah, I could get in a march.  I knew it was a thing that was happening in DC and across the country but I also thought it was going to be a very white space.  Fortunately, I live in Houston, the most diverse city in the country,  so I wasn’t expecting there to be any issues.

We found parking near Eleanor Tinsley with little issue, and joined a few thousand women, men, children, and dogs, and marched towards City Hall.  Some ladies had “pussy hats”, some people had signs, some people wore pink, most people wore all black.  Everyone was polite.  The cops laid out the march route.  The Mayor spoke.  A judge spoke.  It was all pro everyone. Pro inclusion.

And yes, the majority of women I saw were white.  And I kinda wanted to be like “why didn’t you just grab your white lady friends and tell them what was going on?”  Cause that’s what needs to happen.  And when they spoke about “We’re here because our grandmothers and great grandmothers marched for the right to vote” I wanted to be like “*white women”.  But I get that everything isn’t 100% for me.  Like there’s never going to be a “if you’re a black woman with an education but not a college degree that blogs and watches Atlanta and Queen Sugar but likes John Mayer and Wes Anderson movies and want to protest against those trying to take Civil Liberties away from marginalized people March”.

But basically if you’re a women that has never felt marginalized, congrats.  I crown thee Queen of the WASPs.  If you can’t imagine how *this* many human beings across the entire earth felt such a way that they took to the streets to complain, well there’s nothing that will ever make you “get it”.  If you didn’t think the march was for you, I can clearly understand that as well.  If you weren’t able to make it out, but you wanted to be there in spirit, there’s more to be done.  If you voted and did your part, great! We have to keep voting.  If you marched as well, show me your pictures!

We marched past an older white lady in a wheelchair on our way downtown.  She cheered us on and thanks us for marching when she could not.  I saw Black Lives Matter signs.  I saw Princess Leia signs.  I saw “this is what a feminist looks like” signs.  I saw children with “Females are the Future” shirts.  I saw glorious Kimmy Schmidt signs.  People were pro choice.  Pro religious freedoms.  Pro trans rights.  Kind.

Obviously that’s just my experience from two hours on Saturday.  I’m pretty sure Houston was way more inclusive than other cities.  And the estimated 20,000 people in attendance made it the biggest gathering in the city’s history.

I did see that the Women’s March organization posted other ways that you can help, if you are so inclined.

You don’t have to be involved in politics the way someone else says you should. You determine the style of involvement that works for you.

— Nasty Professor (@alwaystheself) January 22, 2017