11/17/16
10 Ways You Can Join the Rebel Alliance & Fight the Galactic Empire!

We went to a “Post-Election Reproductive Justice Strategizing Meeting/Potluck” at our local Planned Parenthood last night (the theme: These. Doors. Stay. Open.) It was packed! Wall-to-wall nasty women plus a few (not enough) bad  hombres ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Even the spread of community contributions was impressive: olives, nice cheese & crackers, veggie chili, freshly baked apple cider donuts. Now that’s how you start a revolution!

Every generation was represented: from the 5-year-old son of the PP Public Affairs Coordinator; to the 14-year-old there with her mom looking to find out what teenagers could do to help; to the feisty college grad who said she was ready to “die in the streets for reproductive freedom”; to the middle-aged mothers afraid their daughters might grow up without the freedom of choice; to the 69-year-old who marched in the streets in the 60s fighting for women’s rights.

There were a lot of great ideas and suggestions about positive action shared last night, some of which we’ve outlined below — all of which you can do now and going forward!

1. DONATE to Planned Parenthood & Other Worthy Organizations

If you’ve got some disposable income, now’s the time to spend it on good causes and organizations that will fight for your rights in the age of Trump. Dolling out cash may not be fun, but it’s quick and easy. Actually, it can be fun when you make donations in the name of people who voted for Trump.  Since the election, 20K people have already donated to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence’s name!

But let’s be clear: Chances are federal funds to Planned Parenthood will be greatly reduced, if not totally cut off, in the near future, limiting their ability to provide vital reproductive health care — like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment — especially to low-income people. There are three places to donate:

Find other organizations whose work you support, become members (haven’t you always wanted a card you can actually carry from the ACLU?), and donate to them as well! See #2 for some ideas.

2. SPEAK OUTAgainst Hate

What groups didn’t the Trump-Pence ticket target? Women, immigrants, Muslims, African Americans, Latinx communities, and LGBTQ folks were all targets — and the uptick in expressions of hate and actual violence against them since the election proves it. So as Planned Parenthood has suggested, wherever you are — whether online or IRL — declare your rejection of hate and your solidarity with the communities Trump has attacked. Show that you believe every single person is deserving of respect, dignity, and equal rights under the law.

You don’t have to take a stand alone. There are several groups supporting solidarity with intersecting communities:

3. Sign the Shit Out of PETITIONS

We feel like we’ve signed a gazillion in the past week:

When your likeminded friends send you reputable petition via social media, read it carefully and if you agree with it, make sure there isn’t already a similar ongoing petition with more signatures (you don’t want to split support). Once you’ve signed one, share it with your friends on social media. It’s like that classic 80s shampoo commercial: then they’ll tell two friends, and so on and so on!

4. CALL Your Representatives

As this former Congressional staff member explained in a twitter opus, calling is by far the best way to be heard by your representatives. If you’re short on time, start with the Republican reps — they deserve the brunt of the onslaught. But Dems need to hear our thundering support for their progressive efforts, too. Use WhoIsMyRepresentative.com‘s tool to find your representatives. And don’t forget the Congressional leaders, like Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan.

5. VOLUNTEER for Planned Parenthood & Other Causes Important to you

You can support Planned Parenthood with your time and energy in multiple ways, from heading up a local Activist Council or escorting women into clinics with protesters and much more:

If there are other causes near and dear to your heart (for example, any of the links in #2 above), reach out to their organizations and see what you can do online and locally.

At the very least, sign up for emails and texts from these organization to stay on top of the issues. They’ll help you learn how to get involved whenever you can. For instance, text “WeWontGoBack” to 69866 to join our Planned Parenthood Action mobile network. (Standard data and text rates may apply, and you can text STOP to quit at anytime.)

6. Buy a SUBSCRIPTION to Real Journalism

There’s been a lot of criticism of the Facebook fact-free bubble that allows citizens to hear only what they want to hear, often from shaddy “news” outlets that trade in exaggerations or outright lies. And these aren’t just conservative sites we’re talking about; lefties do it too. The only way to make sure Trump’s premonitions about the demise of “the failing New York Times” don’t come true is to support real journalism with real dollars. So pitch into the NYT, the Washington Post or the Guardian — if you can’t afford a print subscription, get a cheaper digital subscription. The Times got a record number of subscriptions in the last week!

7. BOYCOTT Trump Brands

Boycott brands and companies that are either Trump-owned, sell Trump products, or else are supportive of Trump (Ivanka and her $10K bangles count!). If you just can’t stand to give up your Amazon Prime Subscription, at the very least, contact them to complain about their Trump associations. Here’s a cursory list.

8. Sign Up for OBAMACARE & Make an Appointment at Planned Parenthood

There’s still time to enroll in Obamacare! And the more people who join, the more solvent/less expensive it becomes, and the harder it will be for Trump to repeal it. Read more here.

You can also support Planned Parenthood by making your next reproductive health care appointment at your local Planned Parenthood health center. Need birth control? A well-woman exam? STD tests? Planned Parenthood can provide those for you, and much more. Several Planned Parenthood health centers also provide hormone replacement therapy for trans patients.

 9. MARCH

The Million Woman March is scheduled for Saturday, January 21st, the day after the inauguration. Hotels are near full, but there are many buses offering there and back same-day service if they sell enough seats. Check with your local Planned Parenthood affiliate — they’re probably organizing buses (ours was!). There’s always your DC friend’s couch, too.

This is a symbolic march against the overall Trump administration. But if you can’t make this one, don’t worry — we’re sure there are going to be a record number of marches on Washington in the next four years geared toward stopping specific actions taken by Trump in the future.

10. Commit to TAKE ACTION at Least Once a Week

Last night at the Planned Parenthood meeting, one woman said she and her friend made a commitment together to perform one act of resistance each day: One day she bought a subscription to The Nation, the next she called her representatives about Bannon, last night she attended the PP meeting. Daily action is great, but if that bar is too high for you, commit to at least once a week. Here’s a public spreadsheet committed to inspiring you to act each week, with scripts and suggestions. We’ve got to make sure we don’t suffer from outrage fatigue. It will take great reserves of strength, energy and focus over the next four years, but we cannot waiver — a government lead by a reality TV star is counting on our apathy!



One Comment

  1. I think the most important thing we can do in the wake of this election is to donate and volunteer. A lot of these organizations could take a huge financial cut in Trump’s presidency, and survivors of assault, abuse, and hate crimes may be feeling less inclined to speak out. Joining these organizations and helping survivors is a great use of your time and a great way to fight Trump in your community.

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