By Arwa Mahdawi
Despite its name, the Women’s March on Washington is open to anyone “who believes that women’s rights are human rights,” and alongside the many thousands of women expected to march on January 21 will be a few good men. We know why most women are heading to D.C., but we were curious about the opposite sex. So we asked them.
Here, nine men tell us why they’re marching.
1. The advertising creative who wants to march in heels
“I’m not marching as ‘a man.’ I plan to be marching as gender-irrelevant. I’m marching as a human being. That’s how we should all be seen — with equal rights, opportunities. I might even march in heels. Not because I want to ‘understand what it’s like to walk a mile in a woman’s shoes.’ No, if I march in heels it’ll be because I think heels will elongate my stride and maybe make my calves look sexy. Okay, and maybe for any bigots watching from afar. But that would only be an added bonus.” — Tim Geoghegan
2. The dad who’d bought tickets to go to Hillary’s inauguration
“I am going to the march with my wife, daughter, sister-in-law, and a friend. We already had tickets to D.C. for the Hillary Clinton inauguration, so we’re gonna try to turn a negative into a positive. I’m going for moral reasons, fairness reasons, and pragmatic reasons. I’m a political activist and women are 58 percent of the electorate. If you plan on being involved in politics you’ve got to acknowledge that women have got to be listened to.” — David Singer
3. The “typical Trump voter” who is marching with his husband
“I’m the typical Trump voter, a 54-year-old white guy. But my momma brought me up correctly! My sense of social justice is all from her. I’m marching with my husband, my mom, and my family to make it clear to the incoming administration that their behavior and goals are toxic.” — Jeff Parker
4. The teacher from Rhode Island who is taking his students
“After the election my students asked me everything from, ‘Will I be deported?’ to ‘Are Latinos going to be allowed to go to high school in America anymore?’ When I mentioned the Women’s March to my students, their enthusiasm was overwhelming. I’ve organized a trip [from my town in Rhode Island] to the march for 50 people, young and old.” — Seth Kolker
5. The DJ going with Gays Against Guns
“This election seems like a doomsday movie blockbuster come to life. I feel like I simply have no choice but to be at the march. I want to witness the power in numbers and the passion of the protestors. I’m going with Gays Against Guns — an organization that was born after the Orlando shooting took place. Its aim is to end violence on all members of the LGBTQ community through gun control.” — Chauncey Dandridge
6. The widower marching to honor his wife
“I’m marching in honor of all the work my wife, Pam, did to advance women’s rights and progressive causes. She passed away two years ago. If she were alive today, I know she would be on the front lines with me — or rather I’d be following her — supporting the idea that women’s rights are human rights.” — Glenn Wallace
7. The Marine veteran who has been led by women in the military
“In my six years in the Marine Corps, some of the best, smartest, most determined Marines I worked alongside were women. So it bothers me to see the contributions these women made are so often ignored when we talk about veterans. I’m attending the march with a group of women veterans. I’ll march behind them, because I’ve been led by women before — and my big Marine Corps ego survived just fine. It’s time the country sees that following a woman’s leadership doesn’t make a man weak.” — Alexander McCoy
8. The angry dad with a message for Trump
“My 12-year-old daughter and all her friends know our next president thinks grabbing women by the pussy is okay. It is completely inappropriate for any man to suggest my wife or daughter should be treated this way. I would beat his ass if I could!” — Dean Naujoks
9. The former conservative who has been shaken from his apathy
“I grew up conservative, then for a long time I just embraced political apathy. Trump shook me out of it! I’m driving [to the march] from Boston with my wife, my brother, and an old friend.” — Vaughn Allen
More from The Cut:
