Recently we witnessed the inauguration of a racist, sexist, xenophobic president. We also witnessed the largest inauguration protest in history, the Women’s March, an “unpresidented” act of patriotic dissent. The Women’s March isn’t the end of anything, by any means. Oh no, this is only the beginning. Brace yourselves, friends, the next four years are only going to have more and more opportunities for rallies, marches, sit-ins, and other means of protest.
But what if you can’t attend public protests? Sometimes location, family, or mental health can stand in the way of carrying a picket sign in front of city hall, and you may feel helpless and frustrated (I know I do). However, there are plenty of other ways to help make history and impact the world!
1. Write your senator. This is an easy, effective way to do your part! Look up your state senator and send an email in which you (politely) urge them to take action against whatever you are protesting! You may feel like you’re just one person and nothing will get done, but if you encourage friends to do the same, the emails will add up! Democracy was made for dissent like this; the senators represent you.
2. Donate! You can donate money to organizations like Planned Parenthood, The Human Rights Campaign, or ACLU! You can also donate in someone else’s name, which makes a great gift! I know I would love someone to give money to Planned Parenthood in my name! Even if it’s a small amount, supporting these organizations make a difference, especially when many of them are being defunded.
3. Write! I’ve felt silenced a lot recently, but writing has been a way for me to be heard. Writing online especially has been a great way to express my opinion and make me feel like I’m actually impacting the world, and you can use a pseudonym! Apply here at Affinity or start your own blog! You never know who will read your posts and become inspired to help fight injustices!
4. Boycotts! Simple boycotting of problematic companies, news sources, or entertainment can silently help disintegrate their racist or bigoted standards. When you swerve these companies, you can go to ones that are better for the environment and have better ethics! For example, instead of going to Urban Outfitters (which promotes sweatshop culture and sells VERY problematic items), support small Etsy businesses, or make your own clothes (not as hard as you think)! And instead of watching movies that are q(white) lacking in color, you can support more diverse ones!
5. Be yourself!! As the love of my life Amandla Stenberg says “it’s a tiny revolution to express yourself fully and be who you want to be“. Our current society wants to force you to conform. If you’re a minority, which most of us are, the next four years are going to make us want to blend in and mask our differences. (I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to come out as a cishet white male after November 9!) But now more than ever, be yourself. Completely. Because you are wonderful and your identity is MAGIC.
I wish it were easier to hop on a train to D.C., but complications like anxiety or family or location make it difficult for a lot of us to show that we are upset. While this may seem frustrating, DON’T GIVE UP!! The next four years are ours. Refuse to be complacent.
