For a long time after developing mobility disabilities I avoided attending large gatherings of any sort. I can’t traverse long distances or stand for more than a few minutes at a time. The idea of attending a protest march which involved lots of walking, standing, crowds bumping into you, and no place to sit seemed impossible. So I just didn’t go.
But I felt guilty.
I knew I had every valid reason to not be one of the ones out there using my voice to take a stand for what is right, but I still wanted to be out there. The direction of the government and the fast rise of fascism is putting all of our lives in danger – especially those of us with disabilities. Adding my voice to the millions saying – “This is not okay. We the people do not support this” – is something that I needed to do.
So now that I have a powered wheelchair that allows me to access such events, I knew I had to attend the No Kings protest.
Yes it was crowded. Yes getting around was difficult. But in the end everything worked out.
People were so kind and accommodating. I was able to hang signs on the sides and back of my wheelchair leaving my one hand free to use the controller. I got to take a picture with my wheelchair and signs on Austin’s Rainbow crosswalk before it gets destroyed by the governor. And I had a good reason to wear my Star Wars “Rebel Scum Since 1977” shirt.
And it ended up being an amazingly uplifting time being around thousands of people here in Austin who care so deeply about this country and love their neighbor so much that they are willing to risk taking a stand for freedom. The erosion of democracy is terrifying but this completely peaceful protest was a time of joy and community reminding us that we are not alone in this fight!
