For Immediate Release
May 8, 2017
Press Contact:
Melody Oliphant
THE CONNECTICUT CHAPTER OF WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON JOINS STATEWIDE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS AND GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS FROM ACROSS CONNECTICUT TO DEMONSTRATE IN SUPPORT OF PROGRESSIVE STATE LEGISLATION
HARTFORD, CT-The Connecticut Chapter of the Women’s March released the following statement this morning.
The Connecticut Chapter of the Women’s March on Washington is coordinating the delivery of letters to state legislators about proposed bills before the Connecticut General Assembly, to be followed by a large- scale demonstration at the Connecticut State Capitol. In doing so, we join a call from the Women’s March and the American Civil Liberties Union’s People Power to reaffirm our commitment to each other and our shared liberation through action, six months after Election Day.
Monday May 8, 2017
Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT, 4:30 p.m.
Connecticut State Capitol, 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT, 5:30 p.m.
In Connecticut, we offer our gratitude to our federal delegation for their firm commitment to fight for dignity, justice, and freedom for their constituents. Yet, at the state level, the work continues. In this demonstration, we recognize the hard work and support of our partner signatories, who have worked tirelessly to advocate for positive change at the local and state level in Connecticut.
Partner Signatories
Action Together Connecticut
Campaign for Paid Family Leave
Connecticut NOW
Connecticut Students for a Dream
CT Women’s Education & Legal Fund
Fairfield Standing United
GLSEN Connecticut
Greater Bridgeport Young Democrats
Indivisible Connecticut
Moral Monday Connecticut
NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut
PFLAG Hartford
Planned Parenthood Votes Connecticut
PSNCT
On January 21, 2017, five million people came together to raise our voices in unity at Women’s Marches around the globe. That was just the beginning. As we pledge our allegiance to each other on May 8, we will remind our state legislators of their allegiance to us—the voters. In so doing, we urge our representatives and senators in Hartford to pass the following bills during this legislative session:
We believe that no one should be forced to choose between their health or the family they love and the job they need. With recognition of widespread racial disparities in the use of solitary confinement, we dedicate ourselves to reforming solitary confinement in Connecticut and prohibiting its use for vulnerable people altogether. And while attacks on immigrant communities continue to escalate across the country, equalizing access to student generated institutional aid for undocumented students would send a bold message that our state stands against hate and supports the dreams of all our students.
In solidarity with our partner signatories and our families, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and communities, we collectively stand for dignity, justice, and freedom in the face of attacks on our health care, our access to education, our identities, and our lives. Connecticut has a responsibility to remain a progressive state where all its residents are valued, safe, and allowed to reach their full potential. We recognize that when one community is harmed, all of our communities are harmed. We commit ourselves to the liberation of all people from indignity and injustice.
We will hold this demonstration in solidarity with communities around the country and collectively fight for dignity, justice, and freedom. We are all part of one movement, and we are not only stronger and more powerful together—our unity is how we survive as people, organizations, and movements.
Women’s March on Washington Connecticut Chapter Organizers
Andrea H. Berman, Milford
Beth Kerrigan West Hartford
Cass Martineau , Willimantic
Evelyn Mantilla, West Hartford
Jillian Gilchrest, West Hartford
Maria Khan, Bloomfield
Melissa Kane, Westport
Melody Oliphant, New Haven
Nancy Butterfield Dornenburg, Simsbury
Pam Elkow, Redding
Po Murray, Sandy Hook
Polly Moran, Hartford
Samantha Parsons, Guilford
Sarah Raskin, West Hartford
Samia Hussein, Windsor Locks
Sharlene Kerelejza, Meriden
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About the Women’s March on Washington-Connecticut Chapter: Women’s March Connecticut Chapter is organized by a group of 25 diverse Connecticut women. We invite like-minded Connecticut residents to join our efforts via our Facebook site: Women’s March CT, We March On. Follow us on Twitter: @WomensMarchCT. Visit our website: http://womensmarchct.org/
About the Women’s March on Washington: The Women’s March on Washington sent a bold message to the Presidential administration on their first day in office, to leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, Governors and state Congresses, and to the world, that we stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to act to protect the rights of women, their families, and their communities