Here's why you'll be seeing pink 'pussyhats' during the Women's March on Washington
When packing for the Women's March on Washington, don't forget your knitting needles and bright pink yarn. They are, after all, unexpected essentials.
An innovative form of "craftivism" is going viral in the final weeks leading up to the Jan. 21 march in protest of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. The aim? Outfit every single one of the projected 200,000 protesters at the Women's March on Washington in pink "pussyhats."
The Pussyhat Project -- a clear reference to Trump's infamous "grab her by the pussy" comment -- provides simple patterns to guide march attendees and supporters in knitting, crocheting or sewing bright pink "pussyhats." The result is a simple hat with two peaks on top, resembling cat ears.
The effort, launched in late November by activists Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, is a way to visually unite attendees of the march, according to the organizers. Yet, the hats also serve as a stark reminder of why women will gather on Washington for the march: to defend equal rights and protest their freshly minted president's undeniable sexism.
The project -- and the hats -- are just the latest example of women reclaiming the term "pussy" in the aftermath of Trump's leaked comments. Phrases using the derogatory term, including "pussy grabs back," have been a source of empowerment for some women in the aftermath of Trump's election.
Suh and Zweiman tell The Huffington Post that they have no exact estimate of the number of hats created so far, but guess anywhere between 30,000 to 100,0000 have been crafted. More than 60,000 people have clicked on the “Patterns” section of the Pussyhat Project website.
The co-organizers say they have heard from women around the country who say crafting the hats has been a helpful way to work through election-related anger and grief.
Suh and Zweiman are requesting that hats made by those not attending the march arrive at their collection point in Virginia by Jan. 14 to give volunteers time for processing prior to distribution on the day of the march. The co-organizers are also encouraging crafters attending the march to make and distribute their own hats to help outfit the crowd.
An essential component of the project, according to Suh and Zweiman, is to allow people who cannot make it to Washington D.C. to show their support and solidarity from afar. The co-organizers hope supporters around the nation will wear pink hats on Jan. 21 to stand up for equality and women's rights.
According to The Huffington Post, Suh and Zweiman's main hope for the viral project is to make the momentum last.
“We hope," Suh said, "these hats will become a symbol long after the march."
Topics Activism Social Good
Katie Dupere was a Social Good reporter at Mashable from May 2015 to July 2017, covering activism, identities and social impact. Prior to her work with Mashable, Katie penned pieces about queerness, body positivity, sex and relationships for Gurl. She also previously contributed LGBTQ news coverage to PinkNews.
