I am on my way to the Naples, Florida sister Woman’s March today and JB is going with me. I lived through the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement. They moved me greatly but I didn’t march – for reasons that I don’t remember. Today I am (belatedly) joining other women and men to make my voice heard that I believe in what those early marchers were fighting for and now even more.

Yes, JB is going with me and I thanked him this morning with tears streaming down my cheeks. I told him that it meant so much to me that he, too, wants to take a stand that it is not okay for men to treat women as second-class citizens, as objects to be used and abused. He is willing to take a stand that he doesn’t want any man to believe it is okay to grab our daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughter, nieces, great-nieces, sisters, cousins or any other female in the world by their pussy or shove them against a wall to kiss them against their will – just because he is stronger or has more power. We want to send a message to those women (and men) who have dismissed Trump’s comments as typical things men say, that no it isn’t and it shouldn’t be. We don’t want any man who says such things to be around the women we love (including me) and we are concerned that someone who says these things is now the leader of the free world.

We are also marching because we are concerned for all of us who are vulnerable. We are feeling our vulnerability because of our age but there are other people who are more vulnerable. We want to stand up for those who are working their butts off but still need a safety net for when all of their carefully woven dreams unravel. We want to stand up for those who look and sound different and thus become “the other” making it okay to hate and abuse them. We want to stand up for those who are too weak to stand up for themselves because they suffer from chronic, pre-existing health problems that consume their daily lives and a loss of healthcare could literally take their lives. We want to stand up for all the people, like Grandpa Bill Bailey and my Pizion grandparents who came to this country looking for a better life. We want to make sure others have the same chance to be productive, beautiful members of our society. I want to stand up for young people who were brought here as small children and are working hard to get an education and make their way to being a successful adult – just like my children did. I want to stand up for all people who are marginalized and threatened by bullies and people who have closed their minds to new information and closed their hearts to compassion.

I’m not sure how long I will be able to march because of my limited energy, but I am going to show up and do what I can. Even if I have to go home early, it won’t be the end of the march for me. I will support Trump when he is doing the right thing for the people who elected him, but I will be diligent to speak up when his actions tell me that he lied when he said this is all about us. Everything he has done so far indicates that he is in it for his ego and his brand, but I am hopeful that I am reading him wrong. As citizens it is our job to keep our elected official’s feet to the fire to deliver on their promises. The 200+ year old march goes on to fulfill the brilliance of our Constitution.

Here’s to all of us in Washington, in cities large and small around our country, and in 50+ nations around the world. Let’s spread our wings and march.