Stay Nasty

Look, Inauguration Day didn’t exactly make America great.

More than anything, it appeared to make America mad. Mad about Trump. Mad about his forthcoming executive actions. Mad to see the progress we’ve worked so hard for seep through the cracks. We felt hopeless.

But the following morning, the putrid sense from the day before was scattered by a bolt of fervent energy and a sea of pink.

Albeit a bit nasty.

The Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches across the country and on every continent kicked off a new era of defending our progress and refusing to normalize the misogynistic and bigoted values spewing from Trump’s administration.

We know that Trump and his flunkies deal in what they now call “alternative facts” (lies) — and one of their favorites is that Trump won by a landslide. But we know that he lost the popular vote by about 2.9 million votes. But the number of people who showed up to march all across the country on Saturday? About 2.9 million people.

Chicago:

Boston:

Denver:

Philadelphia:

Alaska:

But the beautiful piece is that turnout wasn’t just in the U.S., but around the entire world. Including:

Rome:

Antarctica:

And Former President Barack Obama’s birthplace:

(Kidding.)

The energy was positive and palpable — it was clear that people were ready to come together and fight back at the march, but as a digital strategist at the DNC, I’ve been noticing this trend in measurable ways since Election Day. This past week alone has been our best week on social media, ever.

This digital trend is reflected in real life. The DC Metro reported that it was the second-busiest day in its history, with 1,001,613 trips — only trailing President Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

Trump may be trying to push the “alternative fact” that his inauguration turnout was the best ever and that the crowds reached all the way to the Washington Monument, but having witnessed this on social media, on the news, via word-of-mouth, and in person, I can comfortably say that the facts are … just facts. Not to mention that crowd scientists have estimated the gathering was three times greater for the women’s march than it was for Trump’s inauguration.

Folks, the future is female.

If you’re like me, this weekend has you energized and you’re itching to hold Trump accountable every single day. Here’s how to do that:

Hold your members of Congress accountable by calling them📱

We know that this works — earlier this month, Congressional Republicans reversed course on gutting the Office of Congressional Ethics after being flooded with calls. Our call tool makes it super easy: Just plug in some basic information and find the name and number of your GOP members of Congress with a suggested script.

Attend more demonstrations ✊

If the Women’s March was your first march, you now know that demonstrations like this can be powerful, affirming, and supportive experiences. Get out there and add your voice to causes that are important to you. There’s more power in numbers.

Get involved with or donate to a cause that supports the people the Trump Administration will hurt the most

Find an organization that speaks to you and set up a monthly donation and be an advocate. Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, the Trevor Project, United We Dream, Emily’s List, and the DNC are just a few suggestions who are fighting for the progress we believe in. 💪

Run for office

As Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Saturday, “Run for office. Get out there and be those voices and be that change that you want to see in the world.” 🌎 Check out Emily’s List, Emerge America, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, your state party, or Run for Something for some really solid advice and resources.

Take a step back and give others a chance to speak👂

Trump is bad for women in so many ways. But the repercussions of his presidency are going to impact communities that already face disproportionate discrimination, like women of color, LGBTQ Americans, those living in poverty, and our sisters with disabilities. Use the energy from this weekend to be a signal boost for other women’s intersectional issues, making our work as inclusive as possible.

Trump’s brand of misogyny and hate isn’t going to pass us by — whether you marched or not. And now it’s on us to listen to our sisters and support them and lift them up. Because Trump is a swamp monster, and we women are half the population, and when we boost each other we can change the world. So in solidarity with women everywhere, let’s stand up, speak out, and stay nasty.