The pussy hats excluded trans women and women of color. Excluding the most vulnerable women from the conversation = white feminism at its best.
Today marked the largest and most peaceful protest in U.S. history. Women and men rallied together both domestically and abroad to advocate for women’s rights and to resist Donald Trump’s inauguration. The largest march took place in Los Angeles with estimates of more than 750,000 people. Washington D.C. also had an unprecedented turnout of more than 500,000 people. There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned villain to unite people, huh?
That being said, there was a major point of contention at the march: the pussy hats. The hats excluded trans women, as well as women of color. The pussy hats imply that you must have specific genitalia to identify as a woman. Additionally, they excluded women of color by insinuating that pussies must be pink. I guess this is why, for the most part, the only women you saw wearing the pink pussy hats were white.
Excluding the most vulnerable women from the conversation = white feminism at its best.
On a positive note, this did not hinder many women from gathering to highlight their intersecting identities and to stand for marginalized women at the march. To the women who are advocating for the the collective advancement of ALL women: We see you. You remind us of Audre Lorde’s timely words:
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
Related: The Women’s March Isn’t the Only March on Washington this Weekend
Janet Mock Uplifts Trans Lives at D.C.’s Women’s March
Check out the highlights:
Yet white women were at the forefront of the #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/yiYcIuzVEA
— Abbas (@Abbas_Muntaqim) January 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/IdaSantanaMD/status/823016092557832192
I was nervous that the #WomensMarch would just be another rally centering white feminism, but I am so inspired by the many voices featured! pic.twitter.com/WHs2mkO3nB
— Irtefa Binte-Farid, PhD (@IrtefaBF) January 21, 2017
White women, let's do better. #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/wHK8GpEkCE
— Lilah Larson (@LilahLarson) January 21, 2017
Earlier at the #WomensMarch !! #BlackGirlsVote #SayHerName ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/R8YZ2GvYgk
— Kayla Jones (@miss_kaylajones) January 21, 2017
white feminism was built on the backs of women of color #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/qWYTELHL0c
— rafael frumkin (@jeansvaljeans) January 21, 2017
We are indigenous! We are still here! #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/Q0waimWTCk
— khadijah bradshaw (@JarrettHill) January 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/stearnsseattle/status/822915837694611456
#sayhername #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/jIyOHUodWo
— rebekah kirkman (@rebekahkirkman) January 21, 2017
"Hold Policing Accountable" Takoma Station on way to #WomensMarch #SayHerName #NatashaMcKenna & #IndiaKager from the DMV pic.twitter.com/3YCXXrIxa3
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) January 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/getmetothealtar/status/822871540391956488
https://twitter.com/TwerkForTwerk/status/822870411289444354
RESPETA MI EXISTENCIA O ESPERA RESISTENCIA. A queer immigrant woman who is here to fight for every person alike and different. #womensmarch pic.twitter.com/NJ86m9jpAz
— ev (@eaqo444) January 21, 2017
"Trans Dykes – Our Existence is an Act of Resistance." #WomensMarch #SFProtest #Trans #Dyk… https://t.co/bfqgCKfVfr pic.twitter.com/iJaD0ApLJJ
— Wes Modes Official💎 (@WModes) January 22, 2017
Oakland #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/05JkZaCMF1
— Sarah Karlan (@SkarSkarSkar) January 21, 2017
Intersectional or bust. ❤✊❤#Resist #WomensMarch #BlackLivesMatter
Attribution: @rachael_rice, me, @thehoodwitch, @chaninicholas pic.twitter.com/AglfjQhrDr
— Jessica Fish (@Fishica) January 21, 2017
Excited to march in a transnational antimilitarist queer feminist contingent at the #WomensMarch in DC tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/DWiZbM30iQ
— Raha Collective (@RahaCollective) January 20, 2017
Sarah Melamed from Montville, NJ "I'm queer, I'm disabled, I'm Jewish and I'm trans. This administration doesn't want me alive" #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/5PlcLWZZC9
— Tom McKay ☕ (@thetomzone) January 21, 2017
Hold em high #blacklivesmatter #womensmarch pic.twitter.com/M2NeNiFxFE
— ilana kaplan (@lanikaps) January 21, 2017
We are raising up women of color's voices today at the #WomensMarch. #BlackLivesMatter#StandingwithStandingRock#ImmigrantsWelcome pic.twitter.com/sk1YU13xJw
— SURJ DC (@SURJ_DC) January 21, 2017
representing in D.C.
Correction: Wear Your Voice founder Ravneet Vohra has a son and a daughter. An earlier version of this article stated that she marched with her daughters. We regret the error.
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