REaD OUR LIPS rallies for women’s rights

South Carolinians gathered Saturday, wearing red lipstick, to rally for women’s rights.

REaD OUR LIPS, a tabling-style rally, united women’s rights activists at the Statehouse.

“We’re trying to connect the community with organizations that are supporting them and fighting for their rights, so we can unify once altogether and help support one another,” said Haley Weaver, the event’s creator.

Organizations such as the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, Soda City Democrats, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and more came together to offer resources and support to women’s rights activists. 

The 30-something-strong group encouraged passersby to approach them to learn more. 

The goal was to make a difference for women’s rights in South Carolina without staging a protest, Blake Justice, one of the event organizers, said. Peace for Progress, a group created by Justice and Weaver, aims to bring activists together to make change happen in South Carolina. 

The group plans to set up events, such as the REaD OUR LIPS, that provide people with connections and resources rather than protesting. This is because they originally worked with groups such as 50501, which is a national protesting network. Justice said.

They still work with 50501 and support them but want to branch off to do their own thing.

“So now we have separated off a little bit and are trying to just network attendees with organizations that they can get with to help them do the good work,” Justice said.

The lowercase letter in “REaD” symbolizes one of the rally’s key focuses: participants wearing red lipstick as an expression of unity and activism. 

Weaver’s idea to use red lipstick to make a statement in modern times stems from a movement dating to World War II.

At the start of the war, women protesters wore red lipstick to symbolize solidarity with one another while they were fighting for equal rights.

“It’s calling women to stand up where our voices matter and … support one another in solidarity, to fight, you know, for our rights and empowerment,” Weaver said.

Amanda Burke and Jane Mitchell are activists and pastors in local Lutheran congregations who came to the event together, wearing red lipstick, of course.

 “To me, it’s been a historical sign of resistance – not allowing us to be hidden away,” Burke said.

They both said the current presidential administration is taking rights away from women, and they came to the rally to express their disdain for it.

 “I fought all my life to be a person within myself, and I just feel all that being taken away from young women,” Mitchell said.

Stephanie Douglas, a mother, also wore red.

She wore the lipstick to symbolize that she’s “speaking out loud,” saying she wants to make a point and stand out.

Carey Shosner, who represented the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, said her group was asked to attend to inform people of their services. 

“We’re letting our community know that we’re a resource that’s available if they need support seeking abortion in South Carolina,” Shosner said.

The organizations gathered also sought to create a community of people fighting for the same cause, said Sam Rainwater, who was there for the Party of LIberation and Socialism.

“We think it’s really important to build coalitions with other local groups, so that way we’re stronger together,” Rainwater said.

Activist and veteran Wade Fulmer said he went to every organization’s table. He said he shows up to gatherings to offer support and build connections with like-minded people.

“It’s really good to have people come out and support the people who are doing the work,” Fulmer said.

Fullmer is a Vietnam veteran, which was a part of his inspiration for being there.

“Today is (National) Vietnam War Veterans Day, and that means peace and justice for me,” he said.

The rally also had a line of people holding up signs to drivers on Gervais Street.

Melanie Trimble attends this and similar events, bringing cardboard and markers to help people make their own signs.

She wants to “find ways to let people have their voice so they can make their own sign” and hopes to help people express themselves.

“They can say what they want to say out in the world, because that’s what I believe in,” Trimble said.

Brady Venables was standing on the street with a sign that read: “I ask no favor for my sex.”

“It’s just really important that I have a physical presence and a visual presence to stand up for the rights of women,” Venables said.