Tonight is the night that more than half of voting Americans are dreading, as Donald Trump prepares to address the country in this year’s State of the Union. Some politicians, such as Maxine Waters are choosing to skip the evening’s event. Meanwhile, alternative SOTU addresses like Logo’s LGBTQ SOTU and the People’s SOTU have already taken place.
i’m honored to have the opportunity to be a part of a moment like this 🌹thank you @KeshaRose and the recording academy for including me, i’m so proud to be on stage with so many strong women 🌹 #TimesUp pic.twitter.com/pj1Hc91tqf
— camila (@Camila_Cabello) January 29, 2018
But those liberals who are planning to attend tonight’s official SOTU are using the opportunity to make a statement. Following the empowering red carpet blackout that took place at the recent Golden Globes in honor of the Time’s Up movement, democratic women are planning to sport black for tonight’s event. Rep Lois Frankel (D-FL) told VOX that their plan is to send “a message of solidarity with those who are seeking economic security and a cultural shift that enables men and women to work side by side, in safety and dignity, free of sexual harassment, and be paid fairly for the value of their work.”
My colleagues and I in the @HouseDemWomen are calling on our fellow MoCs – women & men, Democrats & Republicans – to wear black to this year’s #SOTU in solidarity w/survivors of sexual harassment/violence in Hollywood, politics, the military, academia, etc. #TIMESUP #MeToo
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 10, 2018
In addition, the Congressional Black Caucus will wear red pins in honor of Recy Taylor, whom Oprah Winfrey commemorated in her Golden Globes speech. Taylor was a black woman who was raped by white men in 1944, and she never saw justice. Rep Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich) will bring Danielle McGuire, a historian who studied Taylor’s life, as a guest. Other congress members will bring sexual assault survivors as their guests.
These gestures make a loud statement to Trump, who has been accused by 17 women of sexual assault. Spectators are eager to see if Ivanka Trump will wear black, following her tone-deaf tweet of support for the Times Up movement. Eyes will also be on Melania, whom has not been seen in public with her husband since news of his affair with porn star, Stormy Daniels broke.
Just saw @Oprah‘s empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #United https://t.co/vpxUBJnCl7
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 9, 2018
Last year’s unofficial dress code was inspired by the suffragette movement, inspiring democratic women to wear white as a silent protest of Trump’s stance on women’s issues. Since Melania wore all black that evening, we can’t help but wonder what side her allegiance is on this year.
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