Why I March For You, Trump and The Future Of A Peaceful Breakfast
Trump first crash landed onto my radar back in March last year in the peaceful, weed-scented hippy-town of Dali in China. This tango-tastic man kept popping up on the breakfast area’s centrally placed TV, nailed to the wall where everyone could not help but have to see it. Every morning, whilst I sipped my earl-grey tea, he was there. Softly yet boldly in the background. Who was this Trump? What did he want with the world? What was going down with that comb-over?
Irony would have it that I was in Dali for 3 months studying Jiu-Jitsu self-defence techniques for women. Fast-forward 9 months later, and I’m at the Women’s March London to defend you, me and the sisterhood of this planet.
Breakfast At Trump’s
As the days passed in Dali, Trump started to take up more of my breakfast time. He wasn’t just gobbling up the time it took me to drink my tea. He was starting to intrude on my baked beans, my toast, my favourite side serving of grilled mushrooms…and by the end of the 3 months, I couldn’t quite believe that he was trying to get his little hands on my eggs!
You’re not getting your mitts on my eggs Trump!
It didn’t stop there. He got greedy. This dude wasn’t waving his patriarchal bull at me at breakfast anymore. It felt like he wanted to come round to mine to freaking eat a full 3 course roast dinner, whilst telling me and my sisterhood how crap we all were.
Turn’s Out Trump Might Not Be Down With The Ladies…
He told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly she had ‘blood coming out of her wherever’. He said to Hilary that it was disgusting for a woman to go to the bathroom: you should have seen me and the girls pooping on the side of the road on The Mongol Rally you nincompoop. ‘Sexual assault should be expected for women who serve in the military’ was one of his lines (oh really??!). ‘Muslim women probably aren’t allowed to say anything anyway’ was another (sweet Mother Mary, someone call the purr-purr-purr police)!
When it got to the point where he told ME that I should be PUNISHED for having an abortion, I wanted to stab him in the frigging temples with my chopsticks. This guy does not deserve dessert! PERIOD!
Sexual Assault Across 3 Generations In My Family
When I was 18 I was sexually assaulted at University. I felt so shocked when it happened that I just didn’t move (something older Teacake wishes she’d done different). When I went to the police and had the guy arrested, he told them ‘I enjoyed it’. That’s how I became a woman (1 in 5 in the UK) who has been sexually assaulted. Who knows if that statistic is fully true however. Only 1 in 6 women report sexual assault.
When I was 19, my Nan was repeatedly raped by one of the male staff in her care home. She passed away shortly after. I’m still speechless about this one.
My Mum has little confidence and hasn’t, in my opinion, reached her full potential in life. At the age of 23 I found out why: abused by one of her own family members as a child.
I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything…Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything’ – The President Of The United States Of America
3 women in my family have been disrespected, violated, physically and mentally hurt. Unbelievable. It’s time to make a change. More so than ever before, now that Trump is President Of The United States, holding a megaphone far louder than that ‘background breakfast TV’ in China. A man who clearly does not see women equal to men and a man who got away with daylight sexual assault. No wonder tyrants walk with impunity.
‘There’s Nothing You Can Do About It’
On the day of Trump’s Inauguration, I told myself I wasn’t going to watch that spectacle. No more Trump pushing his way through my goggle box. No more of this crap in my territory. Yet, as I sat there drinking my cup of tea, he appeared thanks to my Father’s touch of the remote. 9 months since I first encountered him in China and he’s clearly not leaving is he? For the next 4 years, I’m going to have to listen to this ogre disrespect my very core. And as he began his speech, I wept.
‘Don’t be like that’ my Father said. ‘There’s nothing you can do about it’.
Never tell a woman she can’t do something. Never. Full of passion, love for my sisters and an overwhelming irritability to stand up for my beliefs, I couldn’t sit at home and take this lying down. Sometimes ladies, you gotta fight like a girl. Turns out 100,000 other women at the Women’s March London felt the same…
‘You came by the tens of millions to become a part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before’ – Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration
The Awesomeness Of The Women’s March London
I’ve never been to a march before. I wondered if I should bring some mock riot gear in case I got into a spot of bother for speaking my mind. Would the London Police be alright with us all? Would we be alright with the Police?! Turns out the British public, who don’t agree with Trump and believe in equality, are just like you and me. From cute little babies to bodacious OAPs, we were all there together and having a jolly good time!
Just check out all of these lovelies!
It was when we finally hit Trafalgar Square that I realised how many people had turned up to the Women’s March London. We are united and we believe in better. Better not only for America but for the world at large. Whatever happens now is going to affect everybody.
Hope For The Future
What happened at the Women’s March London is historically significant. Not only were there 100,000 marching in London, there were marches in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol too. This turnout cannot be ignored. Worldwide it was insane!
This is just the start of an incredibly and long painful process however. As some of the older ladies in our crowd said yesterday, ‘I still can’t believe I’m protesting this s**t’. Keep on speaking your mind ladies and Trump won’t be making it to your sausages.
Were You At The Women’s March London? Are You Pro Or Anti Trump? Spill The Beans In The Comments!
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Thank you for participating. Great post and good photos of the protest messages. We wrote in our blog about the new president’s recent immigration and anti Muslim actions. We were in Muslim countries at the time.I won’t even write his name.
Hi Peta. Must have been so interesting to have been in the Muslim countries and hear their side! It’s a incredibly interesting and uncertain time in our history and I just hope that things don’t go tits up. I hope we can all work this out together!
I honestly just don’t understand how he got elected in the first place!! Are there so many more like him out there who voted him in??
You are amazing, Alice! Continue to inspire other people to stand up in the what they believe in.
i’m still laughing on what u wrote that Trump said how Muslim women are not allowed to talk or say their opinion . How can he even assume this ? He couldn’t be more mistaken . My husband (he is Egyptian ) he said that he should come and spent some time in Egypt haha and he will see/ understand that women have equal rights to men .:)
They’ve all said it, so keep up! Nice post, and I love your photos, so vibrant, one can just imagine the atmosphere there! Thanks!
This time and presidency will certainly be one for the books, just as all are in some way. But, I know this one is different, it is historically more relevant than some others for obvious reasons. The most astounding part to me is the division of the people, pro and anti in the strongest separation between any two groups of mankind that any of us will probably ever see in a lifetime.
It is incredible that Trump has gone so far for so long. It is incredible that we still have to fight for equality, for basic respect! I’m glad that this march occurred and that people went I wish I had
Great post! I too was part of the march .. here in Iowa.
I’m an American and definitely anti-Trump. I was truly surprised and happy to see the number of people who marched worldwide against that racist, bigoted, misogynist imbecile who is now our President. Unfortunately, since 53% of white women in the US voted for Trump, I can only surmise that they share his views or they just don’t care about the global effects of his words and actions. God help us all.
I am also American, and anti Trump, AMEN to all T. Michelle said above!
Love your blog Alice, planning a solo trip to India in 2019…all so very helpful, thank you!
Blessings
Great to hear you’re heading to India Laurie! Sending you blessings, love and awesome adventures. Love Teacake x
I salute your courage for speaking up about what you and your family have been through. No woman should be treated like that. I admire your passion and of those who were with you on that historic day for standing up for what you believe in. Keep the fire burning. All the best!
I salute your courage in speaking up about what you and your family have been through. No women should be treated like that. I admire your passion and of those who were with you on that historic day for standing up for what you believe in. Keep the fire burning. All the best!
Thank you so much for going out and being present during the march against Trump. It means so very much that you, in another country, would take a stand against this disgrace for a man. It’s going to take a lot of strength for American women (and men and minorities) to keep fighting over the next four years and we need all of the support we can get. With an ego like his (“did these women even vote?” he asked on twitter yesterday!), it’s going to take a lot to take him down a notch or two. :(
Trump affects everybody. America is big and a man like this leading such an influential country is bad news! We’re totally with you Mandy and we’ll keep on voicing our concerns <3
There really aren’t the right words that will ever convey my absolute disgust and horror at Trump gaining the highest office in the U.S.
There are entirely too many layers that would answer how that was possible, and I’m not looking to post a dissertation, and touching on it briefly would do it no justice.
The most disturbing thing, for me, about this monumental imbecile of a man child is the complete lack of respect and disdain he has for women and minorities. It is complete contempt for our existence. His achieving the presidency has signaled to millions that to view, and treat women and minorities as less than human, not worthy of respect, is acceptable.
This has to be more than one march….this fight for decency, for morality, for what is right….it must continue past just one date. Our voices must unite as one in order to drown out the cacophony of misogyny, hate and racism.
It is disheartening to see the hands of time turn back so quickly. And it will be a great battle to right it.
Thank you for being so candid about your reasons for attending the Women’s March. But more importantly: THANK YOU for going & standing up for women around the World!
Happy continued travels!
Woohoo! It warmed my heart that there were marches all over the world. I had two other friends marching in London. I wasn’t able to make it to the Washington DC march, but I marched in Seattle, where the crowd may have been as large as 175,000 – far more than expected! It was incredible. It is so sad (not not surprising…) to hear your story, your mom’s story, the story of your nan… And for a man(-baby) who brags about sexual assault and acts like women peeing is the most disgusting thing ever to now be the President of the U.S., that has power and further normalizes misogyny. I’m so angry but I hope we women, people of color, queer people, refugees, etc all rise together and resist the hate.
I had to think a while on how to respond to this post as this is all such powerful stuff. I’m absolutely horrified by the Trump presidency, but what scares me just as much as the fact that nearly half the US WANTED this man in power. That they WANTED to empower a campaign of racism, misogny, homophobia and discrimination against basically every minority group in existance. And that’s abolsutely terrifying.
So in short I completely agree with everything you have to say here. We NEED to keep fighting, It’s just so frustrating that we’re still doing this in 2016.
Alice! Love this post!!! It was amazing what happened yesterday. I almost cry when I think about it. Millions of people joined together to speak out for equal rights, and I’m extrenely happy to know so many strong women, men, and children who marched yesterday.
I am very happy to see people around the world stand up for this injustice. As an American it has been hard to watch this happen over the last year. As some one who tries to listen both sides of an argument and encourages healthy opposition. I am finding it harder and harder to have an understanding of why anyone could have voted for this man. His dangerous rhetoric makes me fearful of what lies ahead. (and yes i do mean LIES) When I was a child I used to read a lot of books about the Holocaust and wonder how it happened.. would I be able to see a event like that coming? what could I do to prevent it from happening? would there be signs? …..I think I finally answered my own questions
Wow! What a great post, but my heart instantly sank reading about what happened to you, your “mum” and “Nan”. I could not imagine the horror of all of that. Nothing enrages me more than the “Donald Trump arrogance” some men have thinking they have a right to grab and have their way with women just because “they’re a man”. That’s why I’ve always been a lifelong supporter & ally of women and women’s rights. Though I didn’t make it to my local “sister march” it was thrilling – and gave me so much hope and pride – watching everyone around the world marching for a common cause. You’ve always been an awesome traveler and I thoroughly enjoy your stories and adventures!
It doesn’t matter what background you come from, how educated you are or what you wear. The sad truth is that sexual assault happens to women every day. It’s been happening since the dawn of time and I’m not sure it will ever stop. As women, we can take charge as best we can and with men like you supporting us and sharing your views, we’re one step closer to being empowered. Yesterday was a historical day and I was overwhelmed with just how many people came out to march! Thank you for reading and your support. Keep up the fight Scott!