Unity. Equality. Diversity. Solidarity. Acceptance. Feminism. Love.
These are a few of the big words that we have been talking about in our house this past week. Now more than ever, Jeff and I felt it was so important to share these words and this experience with Finn. To begin the conversation about the importance of being an ally and using your loudest voice to support those that are being silenced.
These are a few of the big words that we have been talking about in our house this past week. Now more than ever, Jeff and I felt it was so important to share these words and this experience with Finn. To begin the conversation about the importance of being an ally and using your loudest voice to support those that are being silenced.
One of the signs we made for the Women's March in Vancouver read 'The measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable.' A statement that, sadly, feels a little too true lately.
But to see the incredible number of people all over the world gather - to speak out, raise their voices, agitate, resist, and say 'this is not ok!' - well, that was a pretty incredible thing to be a part of.
My cousin kori wrote a beautiful note last night that I felt hit the nail on the head-
It's our time. We're taking it back.
We will rise from the ashes of our great grandmothers you burned.
You cannot stop us, you can not hush us for we have remembered who we are and we have remembered that we are stronger together than we were separated.
We will never ever ever EVER again forget our beauty, our magnificence, our connection or our god given right to equality and a voice.
Us -- the women -- of all ages, sizes, backgrounds, colours -- we are uniting and we stand in our truth.
Thanks for pissing us all off, for it brought us back home together... look out world, it's going to be real and fucking POWERFUL.
WE ARE WOMAN, HEAR US ROAR.
Keep fighting the good fight, friends! We are ALL STRONGER TOGETHER.
From the Women's March on Washington Website -
We stand together in solidarity for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of any country.
The rhetoric of the past US election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us - immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, First Nations people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault - and our communities are hurting and scared. We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.
In the spirit of democracy and honouring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore. The Women’s March on Washington will send a bold message to the new US government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.
We support the advocacy and resistance movements that reflect our multiple and intersecting identities. We call on all defenders of human rights to join us. This march is the first step towards unifying our communities, grounded in new relationships, to create change from the grassroots level up. We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society. We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all.
HEAR OUR VOICE.
(photos by Jeff Thorburn | last photo by Katie Cubitt)
