This shot with Sophie and me in the crowd and a close up shot of me where I am holding my sign over my head ran in several online news articles
I attended my first ever political rally, ironically on the same day Sophie attended her first political rally. She actually invited me. She is way more progressive than me.
Last year, I was intrigued when I heard there would be a "Women's March." I wondered what it was about? I was curious to the point that I kind of wanted to participate, but I guess my interest was not piqued enough to do my research and learn that there was a sister march taking place right here in Ogden, Utah! If I had realized that, I might have driven down the street to take part in what is now being called the largest march in history.
Truth be told, I was out of town the week before the 2017 women's march and got in late Friday night. So, I didn't want to wake up first thing Saturday morning and leave my kids again. But, now I wish I had.
When I woke up that day, I remember lying in my bed and looking at my facebook feed to see a livestream of the massive crowd in Washington, D.C. I looked at that enormous group of women gathered in solidarity for women and tears of joy began to flow. I listened to some of the speakers get up and tell their stories about sexual violence and other struggles (one lady told about being the victim of rape and then having to fight for a new law to be passed to get her rape kit tested in the aftermath) and more hot tears just flowed down my cheeks. I was so moved. It was obvious to me that we can and must do better for women.
It was a moment I can never forget. I was transformed.
Then, I saw the photos of women marching by the tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands in other cities and photos of crowds or women however large (or small) gathered on every continent on earth!!! Every. Continent. Over 4 million women came out to show support for women all over the globe on this single day for this single event!!!
4 million marchers and not one single arrest. Talk about a crowd with pure intentions.
It was one of the most meaningful moments in my entire life. It touched me deeply. To me, it signified a sisterhood without borders like I had never experienced before. Caught up in the emotion of the moment, I almost said something on facebook, like, "This is one of the most beautiful events, I can not believe what I am seeing!" Even though I usually try really hard to remain politically neutral on social media. It didn't even occur to me that it wasn't one of the most beautiful moments for every woman, or at least the vast majority because I know there are always some outliers in every situation.
I didn't post a comment right then. And, to my huge surprise, when I scrolled through my facebook feed later in the day there were tons of my facebook friends posting #notmymarch and disparaging the march as a "Pro-choice" or at least "Anti-pro-life." When the local newspaper reported on it the next day, it was referred to as an "Anti-Trump March."
This made me really sad. I wished all women could come together and link arms in solidarity on this one point--that we are women and we love each other and we want the world to be a better place for women no matter if we personally are pro-choice or pro-life, for or against the President, or wherever we find ourselves politically on any issue. For one beautiful moment in time can't we be women making a show that is pro-woman, millions of us together, supporting each other simply because we are sisters?
Once I saw it was controversial, I didn't want to say anything at all. My feelings were so tender. I felt like someone disparaging the event to me directly could really affect my relationship to that person. Some people who attended the march were anti-Trump, but that was not the heart of the message. I also didn't feel it had to be offensive to people who are pro-life even though there was a strong pro-choice message. How sad to dismiss the whole event over one or two points. I chose to see it as a beautiful gathering of women across the entire world standing together for women and the many diverse and complex backgrounds we come from and various beliefs we hold. To call it a pro-choice rally or an anti-Trump demonstration, in my opinion, missed the point.
I was wondering if there would be a women's march 2.0. I was sad I had missed my opportunity to take part in the first. So, when Sophie found information about a women's march in Ogden on the day before the one year anniversary of the original event and invited me to go, of course I said "yes."
Our signs read, "One is not born courageous, one becomes so," -Marijane Satrapi. I feel like this quote fits me perfectly. I was raised believing that feminist is a bad word. And, I guess I've never considered going to a rally because it didn't seem like the polite and ladylike thing to do. If my life had turned out the way I imagined it would, I guess I might still be happy to stay in that place of thought. But, God had other plans for me and after walking through the the burning refiner's fire for most of the last two decades, I guess all of that has brought me to this moment in time. This moment where I step out of that place that was engraved in my heart since birth and try to learn another way. As painful as it has been to grow into this new place of thinking over the years, maybe I can even say now, it is a better way. Moving from one place to the other takes a lot of courage. Going to the march took courage. Holding my sign high when the photographer pointed his camera my way took courage. Writing this post took courage after being too scared to share my feelings about the women's march for the past twelve-months.
When I arrived at the rally, I started to feel nervous that it was going to be a lot of negativity; and I don't like it when people get heated up with negativity whether our views align or not. Using hate and negativity is never the answer. So, I was relieved and so happy when all the speakers kept the message positive. Wow--it was such an incredible empowering day! Then I saw the photos in the news with me and my daughter standing there side by side at the Women's March 2.0. Then, the photos of the women's marches worldwide started flooding the internet. It was not on the scale it was last year. But, still pretty overwhelming.
I woke up today to the following quote in the newspaper by Davis County Republican precinct chair Casey Fisher, "The more I study history the more I think giving voting rights to others not head of household has been a grave mistake." As Ian and I discussed this, he asked, "Why would he say it has been a grave mistake?" And, I said, "Great question!" Is it because now, 90-years later, women are still asking to be treated equally? Because the #metoo movement is exposing sexual predator behavior in the workplace? Like Ian, I would really like to understand the reason behind such a statement.
Reading this was as shocking as reading a letter written to the editor two years ago by another Utah GOP official explaining why simple economics dictate that women should never be paid equal wages to men. It blows my mind that people hold these sentiments privately much less expressing them publicly. As long as people say these things or think them, I will be compelled to join with my sisters and march and my courage to do so will continue to grow.
I am so happy I got to take part this year. I'm so proud of Sophie for helping me find my voice. Our signs may have said, "One is not born courageous ..." but I think she was.
