Women and men gathered in the shadow of Chicago's Trump International Hotel and Tower on Tuesday morning to protest against what they described as "blatant misogyny" and "the RNC's war on women." The demonstrators organized under the hashtag #GOPHandsOffMe in reference to comments made by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
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Many of the demonstrators held explicit signs referencing women's genitalia: "This Vulva Votes," "My Neck, My Back, My P---- Will Grab Back," and "Hands Off Our C---ry." We spoke to a few of the demonstrators who said the vulgar messaging was purposeful in bringing attention to their cause.
"C--- is a little graphic for some people because it's used as an expletive, but it doesn't have to be," said protest organizer Alicia Swiz. "Part of shifting that narrative is reclaiming that language and taking the power out of it."
One of the more noticeable demonstrators was Eve Rydberg, who was wearing an anatomical vagina costume.
"I think the explicit nature of it definitely grabs people's attention," Rydberg said. "When you put something so private in a public place — something like a vagina — it makes people feel uncomfortable, but then also realize 'Why aren't we more accepting of this? Why is it weird for me to say vagina or see a vagina dancing around?'"
