On Saturday, I participated in something historical and it moved me to tears. I marched in the Million Women March in Portland, in solidarity with the march on Washington, D.C. I joined 100,000 other women in Portland to stand up for women’s rights. In cities across the globe women marched in solidarity and for their own personal political issues at home. It was earth shattering seeing all those women of different races, religions, sexuality and trans women joining together to fight patriarchy and protect women’s rights.

I always wondered what it would be like to be a part of those powerful marches in the early 60s for civil rights or the suffrage movement or against the Vietnam war, and now I know. It was a peaceful march, not an angry protest, and it had just as big or bigger of an impact. We came all different backgrounds to fight for what we believe women of all races, religions, cultures, and sexuality deserve. This was about democracy, real democracy, as everyone chanted, “show me democracy, this is democracy!” We chanted against Trump, because he and the Republicans might do away with our reproductive rights to free check-ups, birth control, and abortions. We chanted to the future of the daughters to grow up in a world where they are safe to leave their homes and not be raped.

This march was about equality and human rights, because women’s rights are human rights. We are tired of men telling us how to feel, act, or accept our burden as women. We are angry that rapists get off with slaps on the wrist, while women suffer PTSD from being raped. Planned Parenthood and its supporters marched for the right to provide low-income women with the ability to plan their pregnancy and to get annual check-ups and STD/Cancer screenings. These are our god-given rights, not to mention Roe v. Wade and our legal right to an abortion should we so choose.

I was moved by the sight of children, boys and girls, marching with both their parents and holding signs about equality. We need to teach our children, especially our boys, from a young age that women are equal to men and can do anything men can do. We must teach them that we don’t support President’s who laugh about inappropriately grabbing women by the genitals or cheating on several wives. This not the President we want for our children (my future children), because he sets a very poor example about how men should act and how men can treat women. I loved seeing lesbian couples marching with their children and trans women, who deserve to use the bathroom of their chosen gender.

After 8 years of progress, we cannot let the Republicans set us back decades of hard work. We cannot erase history and start over when white men had all the control. Having a black President for 8 years helped move America forward and towards a greater future. America never was great, so how can it be great again. America is still growing and learning how to reach greatness. This greatness is found through progressive thinking. We must move away from the control of white anglo saxon men. We must adapt to the times and recognize that all human beings are equal.

I only hope that this march was just the beginning of movement against the status quo, against white male plutocracy. We cannot be silenced anymore. A man asked me in the middle of the march, while we were taking a bathroom break, where we all were the last 8 years and why we didn’t march then. I said, because Obama didn’t violate our rights, he added to them. Of course there were issues during his Presidency, but it is now that we are fueled by our hatred for a bigoted, sexist, homophobic government that we must march. Seeing all the white supremacist coming out of the wood work to celebrate Trump’s win, shows us that even if he doesn’t want to associate with them, he riled up the masses who have been quiet all these years about their hatred.

We cannot let this stand in a country meant for greatness. We must wave our signs and march on with fervor to a better destiny than this. We will not allow our government to strip our rights away from us as we sleep. No act goes unnoticed now with technology, so they can no longer hide behind their close minded shields. We will speak up. We will call our senators. We will protest and march. This is not the end, but only the beginning of a movement of the people led by the women. They should be scared, because women are the toughest people in the world. I am woman! Hear me Roar!