Badassery Magazine February 2018 Issue 21 | Page 57

O
ver a year ago, in the mid-
dle of Manhattan, Hilary
Clinton asked for my inter-
view.
In her signature pantsuit and fol-
lowed by an anxious looking cam-
eraman, she paused her busy PR
schedule, and in a voice both shrill
and flat, she asked me a few ques-
tions. At the end, she gave me her
business card, and then she fell
back into the crowd of sign-hold-
ers and chant starters.
Okay, was she the real HRC? No.
She was the kind of cheap imita-
tion you might find on the Vegas
Strip or at a political Cosplay con-
vention. But that day, presented
with a publicity opportunity she
couldn't pass up, she was in front
of me, asking "So, why are you
here today?"
I was storming Manhattan in the
company of thousands because
our newly elected President was a
bigot, an incompetent, and a sex-
ual predator. I was there because
I wanted to voice my beliefs in
immigrant rights, in reproductive
freedom, and in environmental
justice. But though I came en-
raged, I was surprised how quick-
ly that furious anger melted away.
Standing amongst thousands of
my fellow women, I felt drunk
on the force of our numbers and
the strength of our voices. I didn't
know those women, but I felt
the sense of community. When I
boarded my bus back to Boston, I
did so aware that my daily life was
lacking the fierce sisterhood that
comes from basking in the light of
badass women.
Returning to routine, I began to
adjust the lens in which I saw the
women around me. I became
more and more appreciative of
their strength and creativity, in all
its different forms. My best friend
coded in the day and rallied for
refugees at night. My younger
sister was hosting feminist read-
ings while living out her dream of
environmental law. The women
who popped up on my Instagram
were creating, baking, and building
amazing things.
And I? I was inspired. I wasn't one
of them. I wasn't building a busi-
ness or baking batches of kom-
bucha. The extent of my creativity
was a brief stint in scarf knitting.
But the more I took notice, the
more amazed I became. These ba-
dass women deserve some rec-
ognition. Amidst all the reasons to
take the path of least resistance,
they chose challenge and the diffi-
culties of pursuing big dreams.
So, I decided to contribute in the
only way I knew how. I made
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