Gentlemen, the Women’s Marches tomorrow aren’t just for women.
At least the one I went to last year in Dallas wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it was ALL about empowering women (of course!), but hundreds of men and boys showed up, too. The females who walked alongside my son and I (even the shouting strangers wearing pink pussyhats and holding ‘Make America Think Again’ signs) made us fellahs feel thoroughly welcomed.
And seeing my wife and daughter holding hands as they marched with thousands of other strong, confident women made me proud and gave me hope that my eight-year-old girl will grow up into a world that listens to its women.
They certainly have important things to say.
“What do we want? Justice!”
“When do we want it? Now!”
Back in High School, I’d see pictures in my history books of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. marching the streets of America leading thousands of passionate citizens joined together to demand their civil rights.
Those crowds were mostly black, but there were always a few dozen white people scattered among them and my kid-self always wondered, why are they there? Why do they care about something that doesn’t even involve them?
Then I grew up and understood exactly why – the fight for equality involves everyone.
Those few white people in those old pictures understood that, and even more of them did years later at the Million Man March.
And tomorrow, in the same vein, men will show up at Woman’s Marches in major cities across the country as well as on Sunday in Las Vegas at the Power to the Polls gathering. We will walk quietly alongside our mothers and sisters and daughters and let our presence tell them that we wholeheartedly support their march for equality.
This year the events are about encouraging women to vote.
According to the Power to the Polls website, Sunday’s event in Vegas “will launch a national voter registration tour one year after the historic Women’s March on Washington. This next stage of the movement will channel the energy and activism of the Women’s March into tangible strategies and concrete wins in 2018.”
The Saturday marches will focus on the same theme, but chances are there will be protest signs aplenty just like last year.
Only these protesters aren’t violently angry.
Most of the women who surrounded me in Dallas had a joy about them that I never associated with these types of marches. They seemed truly happy that they were exercising their right to speak out. Instead of venting their passion with anger, they seemed incredibly positive, even when they were shouting their chants.
“Show me what Democracy looks like!”
“This is what Democracy looks like!”
If you’re a caveman who isn’t on board the female equality train just yet, you might want to watch these marches from a distance. Don’t be fooled by the kind nature of these 2018 women – they are quite finished backing down from the likes of you. They even have a chant to remind you of this if you foolishly choose to forget.
“What do we do when they attack?”
“We fight back.”
Actual gentlemen, if you’re interested in attending one of these Woman’s Marches, click the link and enter whatever large city you’re closest to. Show up and quietly watch the women you care about use their voices to sing their true song.
You’ll be amazed at how satisfying that turns out to be for everybody.
- Mike Lukas
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There is one, at Noon, in our little city. I am likely to head on over there.
Right on – hope you did it up! We went to ours in Dallas and it was fantastic.
It drew over a hundred people, in the wind and cold.
“Weather makes you earn it, weeds out the babies!” says me, the guy who marched in gorgeous Dallas weather.
Where were you that was so cold?
Prescott, AZ and it was 36, at 12 Noon.
My oh mu, AZ? Unreal…
Reblogged this on International Badass Activists.
Excellent – thanks!