Laughing Through Pain, New York Style. Photo Story of a March.
At the 2017 #womensmarchnyc, New Yorkers were deadly serious about protecting civil rights. But that didn’t stop them from being humorously and artistically themselves.
By Carol Schatz Papper
It was so important, even the introverts came out.
Inspired by the unity principles behind the Women’s March on January 21, 2017, an estimated 400,000 people — introverts, extroverts, the overtly and the newly political — came together to march as one teeming mass from Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to Trump Tower. Or, as a New Yorker might put it, U.N.-ish to Tiffany.
Even the skyscrapers seemed in agreement.
Though no official poll was done, marchers seemed to be overwhelmingly New Yorkers or New York-area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) residents. Characteristically, New York wit and style was fully on display. Stand-up merged with standing up.
Many New Yorkers showed up to support their neighbors’ rights. Allies were everywhere. Even dogs came out to support the cat-inspired pussyhats.
And gay men made unusual declarations.
What some people call rude, New Yorkers call honest. So it went with posters and buttons expressing frank opinions about the election.
Plus girls who just wanna have pun:
It was a day of thinking about the common good. Protesters weren’t only concerned with their own issues. Some urged “Free Melania.” Others asked voters to have a “Positive Menstrual Attitude.” Both well and little-known organizations were represented with placards advocating for women’s and human rights. Like who knew before about the Lady Parts Justice League?
But it wasn’t only trademark New York wit on display. As befits a fashion capital, there were also rainbow hats, gold sneakers, feathers, glitter beards and fancy plumes decking out the concrete canyon citizens.
People came dressed to express. Rainbow hats joined pink ones.
Sneakers with a heart of gold lit up the sidewalk.
And the wearer of this polished vest was ready to let people hear him roar.
Not all gold statements spoke loudly. Some compelled by being circumspect, personal, even enigmatic. As with the holder of this single-stem golden rose.
Along with fashion, New Yorkers’ shared love of art, music, theater and literature was prominent. A “Confederacy of Dunces” cabinet poster and a “We Should All be Feminists” sandwich board showed readers care. What’s a NYC march without musical theater references? Here, an angry lyricist rewrote the Mary Poppins song, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
And here, a shout-out to New York favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda and his touching Shakespeare-inspired “love is love is love” sonnet at the Tony’s.
Typical type A personalities couldn’t resist getting just a little competitive. Like saying they had the “best sign.” So New York.
Or wearing the chunkiest knits.
And getting the best shot.
Or the best view. Which required a real sense of balance.
And a willingness to climb.
Meanwhile, the band played on at street level. Patriotically and tunefully helping the crowd stay strong.
Beating the drum of equality for all.
The Women’s March on New York City proved yet again that diverse citizens of a diverse city can peacefully unite in the service of shared goals. Being New Yorkers, they will: laugh, cry, shout, whisper, cheer, chant, kvetch, smile, frown, dress up, dress down, sing, talk fast and nonstop in many languages and make bad puns along the way. They will be angry and funny, alarmed and resolute. They may even stop for bagels if they get hungry.
But throughout they will model a trait so quintessentially New York it’s even in the city’s lowliest insect, the cockroach.
What, exactly?
Resilience. In the face of obstacles, reSisters plow on.
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