Women’s March On Washington And The “Pussyhat” Movement

The Women’s March is becoming one of the largest protests to ever march on Washington with a sea of pink “Pussyhats” taking over the capitol.

The “Pussyhat Project” launched a massive campaign in anticipation of the Women’s March by encouraging people to knit or purchase pink hats with pussycat ears to be worn at the Women’s March on January 21, the day of the presidential inauguration.

The “Pussyhat Project” was founded by Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman who envisioned “a sea of pink, cat-eared hats forcefully marching toward the White House,” as reported by Fastcompany. The crafty duo designed a simple pattern and posted it online for knitters to download. Over 100 drop off locations collected the completed hats to be distributed for free to protesters at the Women’s March on Washington.

Couldn't be more proud….I am here, we are here!!! #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/HibJJlcTTC

— Zendaya (@Zendaya) January 21, 2017

With hundreds of thousands of people flooding the National Mall in protest of Donald Trump’s inauguration, and millions more joining in similar Women’s Marches around the world, Donald Trump’s presidency is already off to a contentious start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC9hTrX9oNk

According to Fortune, nearly 700 separate protests were planned globally in conjunction with the Women’s March, essentially eclipsing the inauguration, and the “Pussyhats” are front and center. Speaking about the movement, Jayna Zweiman said the following.

“We are opening it up for people to personally represent themselves through someone else, and support them, it’s something a lot of people want to do. They want to be positive, and I think you can be politically active and positive at the same time.”

The Women’s March on Washington, as well as many marches throughout the U.S. and indeed the world, have caught on to the “Pussyhat” viral trend, with reports of public transport near protest sites being swarmed by “Pussyhats.”

Joining the Women’s March in Washington and the “Pussyhats” were celebrities such as Ashley Judd, Scarlett Johanssen, and feminist icon Gloria Steinem. As reported by the Guardian, Steinem said at Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington that while Donald Trump has “found a fox for every chicken coop in Washington,” referring to his many controversial cabinet appointments, but that the Women’s March and others like it were the upside of the unfortunate presidential election result.

“This is the upside of the downside. This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy that I have never seen in my very long life. It is wide in age, it is deep in diversity and remember the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president’ it begins with ‘we the people‘.”

Steinem also noted that the Women’s March required a thousand more buses than the presidential inauguration, and caustically closed with the statement “Twitter finger must not become a trigger finger,” referring to Donald Trump’s predilection for social media.

Ashley Judd took the stage at the Women’s March and spoke poetically to the seas of “Pussyhats,” saying that she is “not as nasty as a swastika on a rainbow flag,” referring to Donald Trump calling Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” during a presidential debate several months ago.

“I feel Hitler in these streets. A mustache traded for a toupee, Nazis renamed, the cabinet electro-conversion therapy the new gas chambers, turning rainbows in suicide notes, I am not as nasty as racism, white supremacy, misogyny, ignorance.”

Actress Scarlett Johanssen declared to the crowd of cheering “Pussyhats” that they should “let this weight not drag you down, but help to get your heels stuck in,” to continue fighting for women’s and other human rights for the next four year’s of Trump’s presidency. Even Hillary Clinton joined in support of the Women’s March, tweeting, “I believe we are always Stronger Together.”

Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values @womensmarch. Important as ever. I truly believe we're always Stronger Together.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 21, 2017

While Clinton may not have donned a “Pussyhat,” the queen of pop, Madonna, did speak to the Women’s March on Washington crowd in a stylish black “Pussyhat,” saying to the crowd,

“Good did not win this election, but good will win in the end… The revolution starts here.”

The incredible turnout of the Women’s March on Washington, and indeed in all of the protests worldwide, was only made more impressive by the presence of the “Pussyhats.” Speaking of the project and what would happen with the pink hats after the Women’s March on Washington, Jayna Zweiman requested that the “Pussyhat” protesters continue to wear their hats with pride and keep fighting for women’s rights.

“Keep wearing your hats. Loudly, proudly for the next march. Wear it around town, wear it to the grocery store, talk about women’s rights. Or if you’re not going to wear it again, if it’s not your style, give it to another feminist you know. You can also donate it to someone who needs the warmth of a hat, which would be great.”

[Featured Image by Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP Images]