20 January 2017 was a momentous day for America; a day in which one of the most arguably controversial presidents-elect was sworn into office in Washington DC. It was a significant day for me, too- it was my birthday.
Every four years, I celebrate the anniversary of my birth as America watches the inauguration of the leader of the free world for the next four years. After the excruciating election this year, I swore off media (as much as one can in the information age) for the month of January. And this weekend, I was going to celebrate my birthday in Paris, in blissful expat adventure mode, willfully pushing away the news of the catastrophic dystopia looming before us. That is, until I learned about the march.
As an American expat, one of the most patriotic things I’ve been able to do is vote in the presidential elections. I have, without fail, sent my absentee ballot to my local county board of elections every four years. I’ve also had the unique experience of watching American elections outside of America with the rest of the world, and I have seen how the rest of the world watches with us. Some anxious, some amused, but all watching, waiting.
And, as if out of a Simpsons episode, there was Donald Trump being sworn into office. A morally corrupt, selfish man who speaks a lot but says nothing, other than spouting racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric. I could not simply ignore this, even from an ocean away.
So on 20 January, I celebrated my birthday quietly in Paris. And on 21 January, I defended my freedoms loudly, surrounded by other women and men, European and American, young and old. I marched alongside people from across the globe, in the footsteps of those strong leaders who fought for justice and equality, in what became one of the largest outcries in the world.
I marched to make this voice louder, to stand behind the signs declaring Women’s Rights are Human Rights. Refugees are People. We Are Not Afraid. A morally bankrupt president will make morally bankrupt decisions for the country. This is dangerous situation for the next generation, and for the world.
I marched in support of women’s rights and equality for all. The leader of the United States has degraded, harassed, and bullied women, as well as laughed about sexually assaulting them.
I marched in support of a women’s right to choose. No government should be allowed to legislate what happens to my body and my reproductive system.
I marched in support of safe, accessible, and affordable health care for all Americans. Trump promised to repeal Obamacare, which would strip a large percentage of Americans of health insurance with no viable alternative.
I marched because I believe that the rights and freedoms of my LGBTQ+ friends and family should be equal, fair, and protected under the law. Trump opposes marriage equality and has appointed people to executive branch agencies, and within the White House and the Justice Department, who are hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.
I marched in support of fair treatment of all religious and racial minorities. America is a country of immigrants, enriched by the history and voices of people from all over the world, who moved there for a better life for themselves and their families. Trump’s discriminatory ban on individuals from several majority Muslim countries (otherwise known as ‘the Muslim Ban’) pulled families apart and created a rift between Muslim Americans and the government. He has also made sweeping statements about refugees and Mexicans, asserting that they are rapists, murderers, extremists, and generally bad individuals. In an effort to put ‘America First’, Trump seems determined to define who and what is American on his own terms. This has lead to an upsurgance of hate crimes and violence, which appears to have been given ‘permission’ and has been ‘normalised’ in recent weeks.
I marched in support of disabled Americans who have been bullied or harassed after the president modelled this appalling behaviour himself. Disabled individuals deserve respect and fair treatment.
I know that a single march on 21 January is not going to directly change a policy or knock some human decency into the current US administration. But what it did do was reinforce a collective sense of awareness of issues currently under threat by the new administration. It also demonstrated the passion of a very sizable demographic of Americans who demand to keep their rights intact. I marched to demand protection of these rights for myself and future generations. It was not a wish for failure of the current government or leader; but rather, a reminder of what the government needs to protect and preserve. I also marched, on foreign soil, to show the rest of the world that I am one of the many Americans who are not represented by the current government, and who believe in building bridges, not walls, in order to promote and protect human rights for all.
The Women’s March on Washington was the first step, and it was on day 1 of the presidency. 1459 days left to go. I hope I’ll be dancing, rather than marching, on my birthday in four years’ time.
For more information about this movement, visit www.womensmarch.com/
This article was originally published in 2017 by sp-bx.com and americansresistingoverseas.com.
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