It’s nearly impossible for me to write this.  Why?  Because as I sit here at my computer, Donald Trump is being sworn into office.  How can I concentrate on writing a thoughtful piece on tomorrow’s Women’s March and how it ties into this blog — and the intentions behind this venture — when someone who wants to strip women of their equal rights is becoming President of the United States at this very moment?  It’s a challenge, but if I’m not up to the challenge of writing a simple blog post, then how will I continue to fight for the representation of women — in the arts, in music, in general — over the next four years?  So here I am.

Tomorrow, millions of women and allies will be marching in Washington DC, in NYC, in Los Angeles, and at more than 600 sister marches across the United States and abroad. The mission is this: We stand together in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families – recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country.  And there’s good reasoning behind this stand of solidarity:

The rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonized, and threatened many of us – immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault – and our communities are hurting and scared. We are confronted with the question of how to move forward in the face of national and international concern and fear.

Now, before you say that this is an overreaction, it should be noted that as soon as Trump became President today, the White House website was stripped of its pages devoted to LGBT and civil rights protections.  This small act says so much about what the coming years will be like for women, people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and LGBT folks. The daily micro-aggressions were already happening before, but after the election, they increased. And they’ll continue to increase. If we’re going to survive it, we have to stand together.

And I guess that’s why I created this site/project a year ago.  Trust me, collecting records is the very LEAST of my concerns right now — and is such a tiny, tiny issue compared with the larger issues at hand — but when you’re a woman in a world that is dominated by men (the record-collecting world), you experience and witness sexism all the time.  You get pushed aside, you aren’t considered as knowledgeable about music or vinyl.  I started to realize that I wasn’t taken seriously, and that I didn’t have a lot of female allies to combat these misconceptions and dismissals.  I wanted to promote the visibility of women in this world, band together with them, change the conversation and the dynamic.  I can’t say I’ve really accomplished that yet, but I’m working on it.  It was a microscopic version of what this march tomorrow is all about.  Reaching out, standing together, changing the landscape.  Making our voices heard.

I’m hoping to strengthen my resolve tomorrow.  I’m hoping to come back revived and ready to fight — for all women, for all those who are marginalized or scared or wanting.  And with that resolve, I’ll be creating more content here, seeking out other women who want their voices heard.  Get ready to meet some awesome vinyl-collecting ladies.