With magic markers and poster board, paint and a whole lot of conviction, they made their concerns clear: Womenwill not be dismissed. Women's rights are human rights. Take our concerns seriously.
A group ofwomen metSunday afternoon atthe Novi home of Carolyn Upton to make signs forthe upcoming Women's March on Washington.
Upton wore a sparkly hot-pink knit puss*cat hat, symbolic of President-elect Donald Trump's comments about about groping women on an Access Hollywood tape last year,and wrote:"When women join together, look out. We're watching" on her foam-core sign. She's taking a Rally Bus to the march on Jan. 21 and will carry that sign on the streets of Washington.
Sign-making parties are popping up around the state as like-minded women gather to share their perspectives,camaraderie and travel plans.More parties are planned for later this week and next week as momentum grows for the march, which isexpected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Washington the day after Trump takes the oath of office.
More on the march:
Women's march an 'entry point' for a new activist wave
What to know if you'd like to go to the march in D.C.
The idea is to march on thefirst day of the newadministration to send a message to allbranches of governmentthat women — and all marginalized groups, including people of color and of various religious faiths, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA — or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual —survivors of sexual assault, poor people and native and indigenous people— have a voice in government, organizers say.
"We may have lost this battle, but this is like an electrified moment. People who have never had a political thought are getting involved," said Kelly
Breen, 39, of Novi who brought her daughter, Abi Breen, 6, to Upton's sign-making party.
Though Breen is not planning to attend the march, she is among those concerned about Trump's stand on health issues. The Republican has has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is likely to appoint conservative Supreme Court J justices and may attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, and threatened to defund Planned Parenthood, making it more difficult for low-income women to have access to birth control and reproductive health care.
Hecampaigned on promises to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, to create a registry of refugees and enhance surveillance of Muslims living in America.Though the president-electsays thathe is not a racist, some sayhe has beenslow to disavow white supremacists who supporthim.
Colleen Crossey, 54, of Novi said her hope is that morewomen start to seek public office and positions of power in government.
"Women have been volunteering for a lot of things for years, and I don't think they realize that's leadership," said Crossey, a social worker who has run twice for the Oakland County Commission. "They serve on Girl Scouts, the PTO, they volunteer for all kinds of causes, working together for a common cause. They don't realize that is leadership."
It's time, she said, to take women's volunteerism and turn it into political might.
"I'm just outraged at our government ignoring us," she said. "I don't think they represent us. I think they represent the people who fund their campaigns."
Read more:
Organizers expect march on Washington to attract big names
Busloads of Michigan women set to march on Washington
Tali Wendrow, 53, of West Bloomfield said Trump has offended her on almost every level as a Jewish woman with an autistic daughter, and a son studying to be a journalist.
"I don't want him to undo what 40 years of women before us did," she said. "We cannot undo what we've done for our children's sake."
Jody LaPointe is an organizer of a northern Oakland County group of democratic women who met Sunday in Clarkston to make signs. Though LaPointe, 44, of Oxford is eager to attend the March in Washington, she said it's important to continue organizing, protesting and speaking out even after Jan. 21.
"People are so upset, theyare willing to drive to Washington and march in the streets," said LaPointe."And that's great, but I've got plans after this. Let's go and let our voices be heard. Let them see us and let them know we're not just going to roll over.
"Beyond that, what are we going to do? We're going to fight. I've got a lot of ideas. ... I'd like to see some progressive women get elected. I think there are things we can do, and I'm really, really excited about doing them. ... We need to stop this not four years from now, but two years from now. We need to put the kibosh on it."
Phoebe Hopps, the Michigan coordinator for the Women's March, estimates at least 5,000 women from Michigan are expected to take buses toWashington. She said another 1,000 are getting there via carpooling, train and airplane. For those who can't make it to the U.S. Capitol, hundreds more are likely to also rally in Lansing and Grand Rapids during sister marches.
Uptoncampaigned for Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and said opening her home for a sign party seemed like an easy and obvious way to take action. She recently joined the West Oakland Democratic Club and hopes going to the march will "help her meet more like-minded women and bring them into the fold.
"When women are united, they'llnever be divided," she said through a megaphone she bought for the march, bringing smiles from the sign-makers.
"It's a women's rally, and we need to chant things that roll off the tongue and are easy to repeat.
"Here's another one: I am strong.I am loud. I make my sisters proud."
Upcoming sign parties
Several other sign-making events in advance of the Women's March on Washington are planned across the state in the days ahead, including:
Jan. 10
- 7-11 p.m. at The Phoenix, 24918 John R. Road, Hazel Park
- 5:30 p.m. at Leelanau Studios, 10781 E. Cherry Bend Road, Traverse City. *This is an event for people booked onBecky’s Buses to D.C.
Jan. 11
- 6 p.m. at the Victorian Tea Parlor, 2737 Twelve Mile Road, Berkley.RSVP required byemailingsingli1@icloud.com or calling313-204-2711
- Pre-rally party is planned for 6-9 p.m. at The Little Fleet, 448 E. Front St., Traverse City.
Jan. 13
- 10-2 p.m. at Bancroft Coffee, 122 E. Genesee St., Saginaw.
Jan. 14
- 10-2 p.m. at Bancroft Coffee, 122 E. Genesee St., Saginaw.
Jan. 15
- 3 p.m. Brown Iron Brewhouse,57695 Van Dyke Rd., Washington Township
For more events and updated information, go online to: http://bit.ly/2iRpHV8
If you go to the march
The Women's March on Washingtonkicks off at10 a.m. Jan. 21, beginning at the intersection of Independence Avenue and Third Street Southwest, near the U.S. Capitol.
Themarch is open toanyone, regardless of gender identity, who believes women’s rights are human rights, organizers say.
Phoebe Hopps, the Traverse City-based Michigan coordinator, said Michiganders can meet at 7 a.m. at Hanco*ck Park. She's urging all participants from the Great Lakes State to put a big blue mitten on their signs so they'll be easy to spot in the crowds.
The main source of information for Michiganders going to the march ishttps://www.facebook.com/groups/699422056872220/. If you'd like more details,send an email to the Michigan coordinators at michigan@womensmarch.com.
For people who can't get to Washington but who would like to participate, sister rallies are being held in Grand Rapids and Lansing.
A rally is planned 1-3 p.m.Jan. 21. on the steps ofthe state Capitol, 100 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing. For more details, go tohttps://www.marchonlansing.org/.
In addition, from10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 21, Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids will livestream the Washington march in its social hall and will have representatives of women's organizations including Planned Parenthood, Progressive Women's Alliance, and Justice For Our Neighbors on hand. The address is 24 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids.
