By Julia Mericle
Editor-In-Chief
On Saturday, the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, thousands of people will join together in Washington D.C. for the Women’s March on Washington, according to The New York Times. Some Bonnies will be among the protesters.
Junior Haylei John said she decided to attend the Women’s March on Washington to bring attention to women’s issues after the most recent presidential election.
“I’ll be attending the inauguration for an administration that I do not support as part of a political science course,” said John, an international studies and Spanish major. “Thus, it’s important for me that I attend the Women’s March to stand for the causes I truly do support.”
The march, which grew out of a Facebook page created after Trump’s election, aims to send a message to the new government on its first day in office that the citizens of this country are prepared to defend human rights, according to The Times. The march’s mission statement reads, “We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.”
John supported this mission statement by saying the march not only represents the issues that women endure, but also the issues that other underrepresented and marginalized groups of people face.
Junior Juliette Bauer, president of SBU4Equality, agreed, emphasizing the importance of the push toward intersectionality and this more inclusive form of protest.
“I think the most important thing I want to see from the movement is a unified voice supporting the rights of ALL women, including black women, Latina women, trans women, disabled women—women in all forms and identities,” said Bauer, a women’s studies major.
Women’s issues affect everyone, said John. She said she hopes the march will make clear that these are not just a few causes that only affect a portion of the nation.
JW Cook, a senior political science major, also plans to attend the march. He said he hopes the event reminds Trump that the country does not plan to move backwards in regards to women’s rights.
“The path to progress is forward and both women and men will be marching together on Saturday to remind President Trump of that,” Cook said. “Growing up with a strong single mother, I can think of no better way to honor her than to march and stand in unity with other marchers on Saturday.”
Bauer said while disappointed she cannot attend the march in person, she hopes it provides a lesson.
“I think that the Trump election cycle and the Trump scandals and eventually the Trump presidency are going to really inspire and create a generation of bad-ass women who are going to be able to present this inclusive ideology and create a far brighter future despite the political climate—and hopefully these protests are going to be able to kickstart some of that.”
mericlje13@bonaventure.edu
