WASHINGTON DC – I woke up on Election Day to a furry cat hat. My brown tabby, Joey, had his paws around my head and was purring in my ear as I remembered my plan to go to Washington, D.C., to attend the watch party at Howard University as Vice President. Kamala Harris. But with a cat wrapped around my head, my mind drifted back to a previous trip to DC in January 2017. I covered the Women’s March to protest Donald Trump’s inauguration. That day was the lone bright spot amidst years of MAGA hell; It was the day when hundreds of thousands of people poured in every direction, vowing to resist one man’s fascist impulses. bragged about sexually assaulting women. The symbol of the day: the ubiquitous toy hats, cheerful pink knitted confections worn by women who regain control over a body part that Trump bragged about taking over against the will of his victims.

Now it seems like my sweet cat is an unlucky omen. With Trump’s victoryIt’s time for women to pull those hats out of storage, grab their “resilient” wine glasses, and get back to work. While Trump’s victory was in the hands of a majority of male voters, most women once again hoped to stop him. It will once again be up to women to save America from this raging fascist threat.

In 2017, pink cat ears atop the Women’s Marchers were often accompanied by signs adorned with angry cats that read “p***y back off.” Eight long years later, the common house cat continued to symbolize female resistance. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, complained extensively about “cat ladies” one of independent women’s favorite MAGA insults. But women, including pop star Taylor Swift I wore this term like a badge of honorHe correctly points out that thinking for oneself is a matter of pride.

As the event filled out, around 9 p.m., Howard’s spirits were high. Students dressed in university uniforms or Greek letters crowded inside. As hip-hop blasted from the speakers, groups of women joyfully line danced to Ciara and Missy Elliot songs under giant American flags. By 10 p.m., the mood was weakening as American voters once again made clear that they could not make the correct and obvious choice between a good-hearted, competent woman and a screaming, hate-filled fascist. I went out at 11pm feeling dejected and woke up to find the worst had happened.

But even if people realized that Trump could win this thing again, it wasn’t nearly as heartbreaking as it was in 2016. Maybe it’s because we’re no longer surprised that so many of our American friends are in this situation. They hold such a grudge that they would rather burn this country to the ground than share this wealth with those who helped build it. But part of it is that this crowd knows what they couldn’t have 8 years ago: they can stand up and keep fighting. We know that even when most of the men fail this country, most women stand up and fight. We couldn’t see the Women’s March in November 2016. We had not witnessed the #MeToo movement. We have not seen how women will rise up against the abortion ban. forcing more than one state to protect the right Even if the Republican leadership tries to ban it.

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Some of the richest men in the world, such as Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch, have spent billions of dollars to inundate Americans with far-right propaganda. The internet is full of mind-blowing conspiracy theories, and people barely pay attention to real news anymore. The forces of basic morality are truly a David facing Goliath. However, they still faced a near tie in this election as women continued to join the Democrats. This is a sign of true power. The MAGA movement used a tsunami of lies, distractions, and even violence to win because they could never compete in a fair fight.

Like Harris said this herself when she first announced “I know Donald Trump’s type” in the presidential race. With a massive propaganda apparatus based on lies and the inherent injustice of the Electoral College, the MAGA movement has gained more power than it has by the will of the people. The thumb has long been on the scales of rapists, misogynists and bigots. But the crowd at Howard on Tuesday night was a reminder that the MAGA movement won’t win that easily. The culture shifts towards the people there that night: young, diverse, and predominantly female. They’re not going to crawl back into the kitchen because some grumpy dude on Twitter calls them “cat ladies.” They will continue to live.

Harris deliberately downplayed both her gender and racial identity in this campaign; In stark contrast to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, it focused on rising rhetoric that the candidate had broken the last glass ceiling. But somehow this turned into what some experts call a “boys and girls” choice; this was because polls predicted the largest gender gap ever in the presidential election. In reality, it was more of a “boys vs. adults” choice. Despite Vance’s grumbles about “childless cat women,” Harris’ campaign brought a strong maternal energy: cheerful but determined. Supporters, both male and female, embodied the vibe of any adult woman smiling while checking off her long to-do list, busy but grateful to have such a full life.

Despite the candidate’s advanced age, Trump’s campaign was characterized by moodiness and immaturity. Trump, his vice president and his loudest supporters have adopted the face of a spoiled rich kid who taunts his mother for telling him to do his homework. The premise of the campaign was that lazy, childish men should be the leaders of society, not just in spite of it, but because they will not work to earn it. Elon Musk, RFK Jr. and men like Joe Rogan wore their ignorance like a badge of honor; Instead of lazily trying to spread conspiracy theories, they mocked those who had spent years trying to become experts. Proud Boys re-emerged, whose name suggests their development has been halted threatening poll workers with violence. Trump and Vance spend final days of campaign traces of sexism in the schoolyard, Calling female leaders “trash” and b-wordsduring Clearly dreaming of sending a convicted rapist away After Harris.

Even the field operations of the two campaigns reflected this difference. The Harris campaign handled its get-out-the-vote operations with the zeal of a straight-A student with her hand always in the air. I knocked on over 800,000 doors in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Musk ran the field game on Trump’s behalf. resulting in the existence of a bloodless canvas. Instead, in the tradition of lazy brother fathers paying someone else to take exams for them, Musk bought Trump voters off with a $1 million-a-day lottery. This opposition has an unmistakably sexist flavor, as girls everywhere know they must work hard and show up to get ahead, while rich white boys often escape into privilege.

Even the candidates’ locations on Election Day underlined the difference. Harris set up camp at her alma mater, showcasing not only her personal diligence but also the historic commitment of Black people to education and labor in a country that often worked against their wishes. Trump reacted to a country club he bought with the wealth he inherited. Still, there’s no doubt that Howard was a funnier place because the people were nicer to be around. Harris supporters who emerged despite a crushing defeat knew it wasn’t for lack of effort on their own. It’s only because the nation is too sexist and racist to deserve the sweat of this racially diverse, mostly female crowd. And he’ll keep putting it in. They have no other choice. Their lives and freedoms depend on it.

Trump has done real damage to the American psyche, especially when it comes to his supporters who have become angrier, more paranoid and more sadistic over the last 9 years. Even in defeat, we should be grateful to Harris for a magnificent job embodying a different vision: one in which Americans could be kind, cooperative, and, yes, cheerful. Even if we stick to the journalistic practice of keeping a campaign at arm’s length, attending Harris events has been refreshing. Rally at Temple University in August or Democratic National Convention. Honestly, this has less to do with the candidates and more to do with the funny, kind, smart, and perfectly normal people on the ground, rather than brimming with the weird, hateful energy that Trump has within him. Followers. Despite the fear that has settled back into the country, it is empowering to see all these reasonable people, men and women, come together to believe that women deserve better. That we all deserve better.

The women who voted for Harris are not giving up. Vance, Musk, and their army of Twitter trolls can throw around the term “catwoman” all they want, but voting for Trump won’t cause women to give up their jobs en masse to play the role of “traditional woman.” Trump can and likely will impose more restrictions on abortion and even birth control, but women have already shown they will fight back with mutual aid networks to traffick care to those in need. MAGA men continue to tell a story that if they hate and punish women enough, women will reach out and accept it. They just make women angrier and more determined. Women are realizing that they cannot rely on the kindness of men to protect us. American women know this: We are the only ones who can save us.