The Women's March

January 22, 2017 A good friend reminded me that the January 21 march wasn’t about the ACA or climate change or peace. It was a women’s march, kicked off in reaction to the comment that Trump made about grabbing a woman’s pussy "without their consent,” because “when you're a star, they let you do it.” Well, it’s true that women’s rights were the first issue, but the march became so much more. I looked up the Women’s March on Washington “Guiding Principles,” developed by the organizers. Rather early in their journey they discovered that all social justice and environmental issues are women’s issues. Their vision brings together all kinds of people “to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold messages of resistance and self-determination.” At the march, people carried signs of support for lots of issues and causes, from women’s issues like saving Planned Parenthood and stopping violence to working on climate change. All of these are women’s issues. And although the majority of marchers were women, there were many men in the crowd, there to support women’s issues or to promote their own. Among the signs I saw and comments I heard: Keep the Affordable Care Act. Save Planned Parenthood. Fight Global Climate Change. End Racism! Stop Factory Farms. End the Death Penalty! No More Wars! Help Palestine Survive! Peace! Peace! Peace! And which of those, I ask you, is NOT a woman’s issue? None of the above.