This Is The Hat Thousands Of Women Will Be Wearing After Trump's Inauguration
An estimated 200,000 women are expected to march on Washington, DC, on January 21 — the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump.
They are planning this to voice their discontent with the election of Trump, a misogynist who has threatened the dozen women who accused him of assault.
And to give a sort of unified look, many of the women — and men — are creating their own uniforms in the form of pink hats.
They call them "pussyhats."
The "pussyhat" trend is being led by "The Pussyhat Project."
The pink hats are knitted (or put together out of fleece or whatever else) like a regular beanie, but with two little cat ears up at the top.
Like a pussycat.
Get it?
The hats serve as several symbols.
By calling them "pussycats," the organizers clearly refer to Trump's most infamous quote, that he "grabs [women] by the pussy."
In the recording where Trump said that, he added that he does not "even wait" before kissing women. Not waiting for permission before touching a woman in a sexual manner is the definition of assault.
By making this reference, the hats also refer back to the "pussy grabs back" response to Trump's quote, which was used by women to say that they would be voting against Trump.
By being pink, the hats symbolize traditional femininity.
Femininity is often derided and seen as something weak. But women are claiming it as their power with the pink hats of rejection.
Adding to that, the hats are being knitted.
Knitting, again, is a feminine symbol. Women are reclaiming it as a radical act.
Krista Suh, one of the creators of the Pussyhat Project, told the Huffington Post,
For me, a lot of the magic lies in [saying], 'Hey women of the country, you might not think you're politically active, but you're already community organizing in your knitting groups and women's groups, you just don't call it that.
The pussyhats allow people to participate in the women's march without having to go anywhere.
Many women are knitting bunches of pussyhats and sending them to people who will be marching in DC (and other cities where similar demonstrations are being held).
So you can get involved, too.
If you know how to knit, the pattern for the pussyhat is right here.
The pussyhat movement is growing.
The creators believe thousands of pussyhats have already been knit.
And Patti Smith, icon, was reportedly spotted wearing one:
If nothing else, knitting a pussyhat is a good form of stress relief.
Seems like a pretty good New Year's resolution to me.
Citations: Thousands Are Knitting 'Pussy Hats' For The Women's March On Washington (Huffington Post)
