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Hundreds are expected to stay much closer to home, with the Women's March on Stamford taking place the same day from noon to 2 p.m. It begins with a keynote speaker session at noon in the auditorium at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus. That will be followed by an hour-long peaceful march up Washington Boulevard to Trump Parc and back from 1 to 2 p.m.
Organizer Lisa Boyne of Fairfield looked into going to the Washington march a couple of weeks ago, visiting the march website to find a bus from Connecticut.
"That's when I started to think about having a march here. I inquired and they gave me all the tools to register and organize one in Stamford," she told Daily Voice in an interview. A march is also planned for Hartford and over 275 locations across the U.S.
The march is a platform for supporters of equality to rally and march promote civil rights for everyone without regard for gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion or creed, she said. In part, it is a reaction by people who are not happy with the President-Elect Donald Trump.
There are many reasons to hold a local march, said Boyne, who felt a call to organize during the election.
"I am not somebody who was involved in politics three months ago. This is not a knee-jerk (response) from the election, which most of us did not see coming. We're certainly very concerned about it," she said.
"I was thinking how we collectively organize. We're in a fairly safe Blue State. I'm not worrying yet about Connecticut going Red, but who knows what's going to happen?"
Boyne cited many reason for getting involved. On a personal note, she said she was moved to do something after seeing a segment on "Access Hollywood" with Trump and hearing his remarks about women.
"I am a mother of two. I have a son and the idea that he would think it's OK to talk like that. I worry about my daughter dealing with that. Having a president talk that way demeans the office," she said.
After the march, she will use her background in Internet marketing to help others who want to organize events.
“On Jan. 21, people from around the country will unite in Washington, DC in the spirit of democracy and justice, and we march in Stamford to join them and have our own voice heard in Connecticut,” said Boyne. “As a woman, a parent and Connecticut resident, we need to bring together groups and residents locally to show our unity and voice in Connecticut and march for our shared values.”
The keynote panel at UConn-Stamford will include:
- Stamford Mayor David Martin
- U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th District)
- Lisa Bloom, a CNN contributor, author and women's rights attorney
- Jill Reiss of the National Organization of Women
- Gretchen Raffa, Planned Parenthood, Director of Public Policy, Advocacy & Strategic Engagement of Southern New England
- Jack Bryant, President of the Stamford Chapter of the NAACP
- Dan Barrett, Legal Director of the ACLU in Connecticut
- Lisa Worth Huber, Chairman of the National Peace Academy
- CAIR – Council on American-Islamic Relations (speaker to be announced)
The auditorium is already filled, but reservations can be made for the overflow space in Meeting Room 100.
“These marches are more than just a protest against the hateful and divisive rhetoric we have seen in the past year, “ said Himes. “They represent a day of action we’ve set aside to show our solidarity and our strong support for an inclusive, diverse country where all of our rights are protected.”
Click here for tickets to the keynote session at UConn-Stamford. A GoFundMe has been established for the march here.
Click here for more information on Women's March on Washington.
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