Much has been written in the last few weeks about “the democratic way,” and “the peaceful transition of power.” All of it has been focused on the end of 8 years of leadership by a principled, rational, justice-seeking and imperfect man and the rise of an impulsive, seemingly soulless, thin-skinned, billionaire man-child. But surely I digress.
Making my way to the Women’s March in Washington yanked me out of the valley of despair. Having bailed after the rally, I spent the afternoon, evening and next morning devouring news and social media about the DC March, and my energy pulsed at the reports of hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, MILLIONS of people around globe all coming together. I signed up to do something every day for 100 days with the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. I made a donation to Gavin Newsom’s California Governor’s campaign. I tweeted and followed a dozen new people on Twitter. I texted. I sent a postcard to my Senators and President Trump. I posted and read Facebook. Perhaps I was in my bubble, but if ever there was a reason to embrace the bubble, that weekend provided it.
And then I took the dogs for a walk. And it struck me.
The most important transition of power happened Saturday, January 21st, not Friday, January 20th.
I’m putting a stake in the ground and saying that Saturday, January 21, 2017 was the day that leadership of the movement-formerly-known-as-women’s transferred. Out of the hands of fierce and amazing, but largely white, privileged baby boomer badasses into the hands of amazing, diverse gen-x and millennial badass women.
This may be the only time I say these four words together: Thank you President Trump. Because it was a collective and bone rattling fear of you and your ilk that finally, and I mean finally, awakened the great majority of progressives, and caused them to unsilo their actions, and not “set aside” their different areas of passion and concern, but to UNITE them. They belong together, because just like Republicans and Democrats are not a monolith, neither are women, or gay people, people of color, or transpeople, or environmentalists, or poverty-fighters. Nope. We are all all of those things.
At the Women’s March I saw it in action. The recognition — and clearer visceral understanding of women and men across the age spectrum — that without considering class, and race, and gender identify and a lot of other things, a “feminist” movement is destined to stall.
But the people in their 20s and 30s get this.
The four leaders of the DC March, and the vast majority of leaders around the globe, were under the age of 40. The young women in my office are FIRED UP and ready to lead.
From now on, I am prepared to follow.
