#NotMyProtest
Here’s the thing…
The Women’s March on Washington is/was a huge deal. I’m not going to get into why. That’s not what this post is about. But what I would like to say is that, like so many grassroots movements for social change, it isn’t perfect. I don’t think anyone would argue that.
But…
No movement, particularly one as powerful and encompassing as this, has to be perfect to effect change. Not everyone is going to agree with the message or the delivery or other tactics of its participants. You may think that wearing “pussy hats” dilutes the message and excludes trans women. You may think that the disabled and mentally ill aren’t equally represented. You may think that it clashes with the ideals of diehard feminists and minimises their efforts.
And you would be right.
There are many of us out there fighting for our rights and the rights of so many others. We’re bound to rub elbows at some point. And there’s bound to be some friction. But when you’re being vocal and disruptive, you have to expect it and, well, let it slide. Address that friction, yes, but don’t let it deter you from supporting other activists and advocates who walk alongside you.
We may all be fighting our own battles but more often than not, they’re against the same enemies: fascism, bigotry, discrimination and hatred. Let us not point our weapons of peace at each other and try to remember that, for the most part, we march a shared path with a common goal…
Equality.
