750,000 Snowflakes In Los Angeles

January 23rd, 2017 - filed under: Furthermore » Inspiration

IMG_2265


Progressives are often accused of acting like “special snowflakes”, which I guess is meant to imply that we’re delicate, and fancy ourselves as oh-so-unique and precious, and which is also made extra ironic considering the insult is often hurled at us by folks who literally lose their shit at hearing the words “Happy Holidays” OH THE HORROR.

But anyway, I like snowflakes. And you know what? They are unique, and each one is special. Every single snowflake is different. That’s what makes them beautiful.

And on Saturday January 21, 750,000 special snowflakes descended on Los Angeles. And 2,900,000 special snowflakes gathered around the globe. And they did what delicate snowflakes do when you add them all together.

They created an unstoppable avalanche.


IMG_2213

IMG_2224

Endless

IMG_2229

IMG_2249

IMG_2245

My fellow queer reSISTER, my beautiful beloved coven queen, who proudly marched with her 20 week-old baby in her belly that day.

IMG_2247

These two. These two were dancing nonstop, and leading a chant that carried over the entire crowd. The women sitting below them — and all the women passing by — would yell “My body, my choice!” and the men would echo back “Her body, her choice” over and over and over.

“My body, my choice!”

“Her body, her choice”

“My body, my choice!”

“Her body, her choice”

And that’s the one that broke the seal for me. I always cry at protests, because I am overcome with emotion when feeling such incredible solidarity with strangers — the Power of the People! — and this beautiful chant is the one that put me over the edge. Than you, male feminists. I see you and I appreciate you.


IMG_2250

IMG_2253

IMG_2276

Gathering at the plaza in front of City Hall, all 750k of us. It’s just photographically impossible to capture the magnitude of the crowd, or the feeling of pride and power that washes over you when the speaker on the mic bellows “Hearts Open, Fists Raised” and 750,000 humans roar their mighty voices into the sky, and raise their hands up high. Together.


There is a line from Hamilton: “This is not a moment; It’s the movement”.

And that’s what it felt like we were witnessing on Saturday. The birth of an entire movement. And like any birth, it will be messy, and the contractions will sometimes make us uncomfortable, maybe even be downright painful. But that’s part of the work. And there’s lots of work to do.

In the aftermath of Saturday, there has been a series of pieces written by women of color about how they experienced the marches. And although almost every woman, including the women of color, that I have spoken to or heard from (even in these pieces, to be clear) has said that ultimately, the march they attended was uplifting and positive and felt like solidarity . . . these negative experiences are *also* true. Simultaneously.

And that means there is more work to be done — especially if you are a white/hetero/cis person reading this. There is more work to be done inside our own progressive communities.

Woman in Viral Photo From Women’s March to White Female Allies: ‘Listen to a Black Woman’

When You Brag That The Women’s Marches Were Nonviolent

Women of color are being blamed for dividing the Women’s March — and it’s nothing new

One indigenous woman’s take on the Women’s March

I hope you’ll take the time to read these pieces, and please feel free to leave your own contributions in the comments, if you’ve found a voice you feel needs to be heard. And please, share your own experiences! Did you march?? Was it magical? Tell us all about it.

Solidarity, my reSISTERS!




IMG_2281

Spotted from the freeway through Hollywood, on our way back home.

♥ ♥ ♥

  • Bianca Phillips

    YESSSSS! This is beautiful, and it gave me chills, Sayward. I marched in Memphis on Saturday, and our march here was the largest march here since the 1968 sanitation workers strike. BIG DEAL!! It was soooooo amazing. Just so, so, very empowering and uplifting and awesome.

  • Sarah C.

    Our march/rally in Albuquerque was the largest gathering in our city EVER. It was peaceful and lovely and multicultural (it’s a majority minority state), with Native drummers and dancers and medicine women, and people in wheelchairs, and kids, and families, and everyone. Just lovely and uplifting.

    Since then, the news gets worse every day. But I’m still fighting and I know now that many of us are.

  • Kelly Hache

    Beautiful! This gave me goosebumps and is a perfect recap of my experience as well in Seattle…170,000 strong. The march itself was slow and exhausting but no one complained…No one got out of line. The community was happy and peaceful. I have since read some negative thoughts on the marches posted by women of all people who just don’t seem to understand. Yes, there were plenty of “anti-trump” sentiments and some pretty vulgar and negative signs I wouldn’t want children to see, but this march was overwhelmingly about unity, peace, love and acceptance and I am so proud I was there. My first ever march! :) <3

  • Judith

    haha, just reading your text made my all teary. I never thought that I might not be the only one who becomes so emotional at demonstrations. Thank you for sharing and the good “work” you do!
    much love,
    j