Women's March on Washington

Hello!

Today, I am going to write about my experience at the Women's March on Washington, here in Seattle, WA. If by chance you're unsure of what that event was, it was a march in Washington D.C., that also consisted of satellite marches happening all around the country in major cities. It was also very cool to see how our sisters and allies in countries all over the world held marches as well to show support for women in the U.S - and their own countries too! The event was called a women's march, but it wasn't solely for cis women. Participants included women of all biologies (cis, trans, non-binary, gender fluid, etc.), men who support women and our civil liberties, children of all ages, grandmas, grandpas, and a whole lot of love. 

Getting to the march was more difficult that I anticipated. I always knew that I was going to march no matter what, but I didn't plan well on how to get there. I also didn't plan well on forming a group to go together. I contacted some people last minute, both in and outside of Seattle, and people who I assumed would go, weren't going. That was very hard on me because in my heart it wasn't an option, it was a duty. I carried the feeling of disappointment with me for a good part of the day. But, I did have a good friend meet me toward the end of the march route with her 6 year old daughter and her amazing sign drawn by her other daughter. 

Uber was $100 to travel the 6 miles to the starting location, so that wasn't an option. I'm really disappointed in Uber for profiting from our march. Shame on you, Uber. Shame on you for many reasons. So, I used Car2go instead. It was crazy driving the tiny smart car up the hills of the Judkins Park neighborhood. After I parked the car, I walked a few steps around the corner and then saw the massive crowds. I thought I was going to be nervous and maybe uncomfortable doing the march on my own. But once I got there, I realized that I wasn't alone at all. Thousands of people were there for the same reasons I was there. There was mud everywhere, but the sun was shining and the air was crisp. Nearly everyone was wearing a pink pussy hat, with points meant to be cat ears. Or maybe it was suppose to resemble a female body part? 😏

I was expecting someone to be a leader. I was expecting a stage and megaphones and chanting and cheering. Maybe there was all of that, but not where I was standing. Not long after I arrived, the crowds began to move; some went north, some went west. It turns out that way more people showed up to the march than anticipated and it just wasn't possible for everyone to flow in one direction. There were many points in the beginning that the crowds just split up in order to allow for more traffic flow on the small streets of the neighborhoods. 

I saw so many amazingly creative signs. There were also large paper mache puppets of women from different cultural backgrounds. (Please correct me if puppet isn't the right word!) I took so many pictures and had plenty of time to marvel at all the people around me coming together in love and support. We barely moved a few feet at a time and often were paused together. I loved seeing all the men there supporting the women in their families. I noticed that any time a man bumped into a woman (we were all squished together like sardines) he would apologize profusely. I think they all knew that it was a day for women and the only place for a man at the march was a place of support and love. I loved seeing the dads there with their daughters. What a beautiful action of love for a young girl. 

The march was 3.6 miles and it moved slowly. Walking through the international district down a hill gave me a breathtaking view of the massiveness of our Seattle's Women's March. We were a sea of pink and signs bobbing along. Once we turned onto 4th ave, I met up with my friend and her daughter. Her sign was awesome and I'll include it in the pictures below. It warmed my heart to see a girl as young as 6 participating in an experience marking history for everyone. She also wore pink in every shade possible! 

The march ended at Seattle Center and everyone stayed and filled up every inch of the square. We stopped at a small hill to observe it all and watch the swarm of marchers file in. It was a view that I will hold onto for my entire life. We walked over and sat by the fountain and just watched all the families and people celebrating, talking, and resting. I wasn't physically tired because it was a hard walk, but I was exhausted from being filled to the brim with emotion the entire time. I felt so proud of every single person there. I also still felt disappointed in those who didn't march. In the beginning the disappointment was judgmental and even angry. At the end the disappointment was just sadness because I wasn't sharing this spectacular moment every woman who I love. There wasn't any room inside of me for anger after an experience like that.  

I also know that in hindsight I shouldn't have allowed myself to be angry in the first place. My words of advice on the matter is, don't let silly reasons get in the way of participating in something you believe in. I understand that crowds are overwhelming, claustrophobia may be an issue, physical limitations may hinder you. But if you're able to participate in these moments of history and it's something you believe in, get up and march! I know that not everyone is politically angry enough to protest. But protests don't have to be about anger. The Women's March on Washington wasn't about anger. I urge everyone to read about the purpose behind political events like these. If the purpose isn't what you stand for but you still want to make moves, find your own purpose and participate in anyway you can. I will be posting soon on ways to make an impact in the political occurrences our country is facing and will be facing for the next 4 years (think postcards, e-mails, phone calls, letter-writing).

If you're wondering what my personal reasons behind marching are, I'll be happy to share. I strongly believe in everything that true feminism stands for. I believe that all people are equal and all people deserve the same human rights. I am a big supporter of all women and love to lift up and encourage all women to be strong, to speak up, and to follow their dreams. I wanted to be around strong women who share my values and want to make a statement. I wanted to feel a connection to something greater than myself and to put my energy toward a positive movement. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience at the march. Please comment and tell me about your experience if you marched! If you disagree with my thoughts, that's okay too! Feel free to comment as well and open a dialogue. I promise to be respectful to all commenters and I hope you afford me the same courtesy. Now, enjoy some photos! (Click the photo to open a slideshow.)