Feminist Wins of the Week

What an incredibly powerful week! From acts of resistance to history-breaking announcements, these wins show that we are on the way to greater change. This week’s Feminist Wins post celebrates all of those taking on the overwhelming fight to make the world better.

#PowerToThePolls rally in Las Vegas + over 200 Sister Marches

Last Sunday, thousands of people rallied in Las Vegas, Nevada to celebrate the anniversary of the Women’s March and to launch the beginning of the 2018 Women’s March agenda: #PowerToThePolls. Roughly 500,000 people attended the rally and about 10,000 people registered to vote by the end of the event. The rally featured speakers such as Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, Congressman and Civil Rights icon John Lewis, and Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza. Women’s March Co-President Bob Bland said at the rally:

I’m speaking specifically to white ladies here, we need to bring our voice and our vote, not just for ourselves, not just for the issues that directly impact us and our families, but for the issues of all marginalized communities. We must vote for the Dreamers. We must vote for Indigenous women who are missing and murdered in alarming numbers. We must do it for trans women of color, for sex workers, for all of our Black and brown communities.

An estimated 1.5-2.5 million people from around the world marched in solidarity with the Las Vegas Women’s March, speaking out against the plethora of problems created by the President during his first year in office. Over 200 marches were held across the US and in other countries, including Australia, Kenya, Malawi, the UK, and France. At the march held in D.C., Feminist Majority Foundation President Ellie Smeal addressed the massive crowd, saying:

Last year, they said we would be a one day event, but they had no idea that our movement has been going on for decades and it’s going to continue for as long as it takes.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth will be the first sitting Senator to give birth

On Tuesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois announced the pregnancy of her second child on Twitter, which will make her the first United States Senator to give birth while holding office. Sen. Duckworth tweeted to express her gratitude for all the support she has received after her announcement, saying, “my daughter Abigail has only made me more committed to doing my job and standing up for hardworking families everywhere.” Sen. Duckworth will continue to make history with this announcement, as she has multiple times already: she is the first Asian-American woman to be elected to Congress in Illinois, as well as the first disabled woman to be elected to Congress.

Wanted to share some exciting personal news… pic.twitter.com/ZZyu9pG2nq

— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) January 23, 2018

Croatia introduces children’s story with same-sex couples for the first time

Croatia recently published a new bedtime story book for children called “My Rainbow Family.” This is the first book in the country depicting families with same-sex parents, and the first 500 copies have already sold out. The book has two different tales about two different families – one, a girl with two fathers, the other, a boy with two moms. LGBTQ+ communities in Croatia have long been targeted by the Catholic church, which forced a referendum five years ago that blocked the government’s plans to legalize same-sex marriage. Currently, they are taking aim to block the book from being sold in stores.

Laverne Cox is the first ever transgender Cosmopolitan cover girl

Laverne Cox will be the cover girl for South Africa’s February issue of Cosmopolitan, making her the first ever transgender woman to appear on the cover of Cosmo. The Valentine’s Day-themed #SayYesToLove issue will be focused on LGBTQ+ issues, featuring 17 LGBTQ+ advocates. Laverne Cox’s feature focuses on inspiring trans women to “let go of fear and live a fun, fearless life.” South Africa is the first African country to legalize same-sex marriage, and this upcoming issue of Cosmo is meant to further dismantle hetereonormative perceptions of love.

Marsai Martin: Executive Producer of Universal’s comedy Little

13-year-old ‘Black-ish’ actor Marsai Martin is executive producing and starring in a new Universal comedy “Little,” which is based on a story that she created and pitched herself. The film will tell the story of a woman who takes a vacation from the pressures of adulthood to relive her life as a child. The movie will be Martin’s first studio feature. It’s been a big year so far for Martin, who was also recently nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Youth award, and took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy award at the 2018 NAACP Image Awards.

The featured image for this Feminist Wins blog post is a derivative; original photo by Mobilus In Mobili / Creative Commons.