First, I want to say to any international friends reading this — please know that I am deeply ashamed of my country for electing Trump. I believe in equal rights for all. Minorities, LGBTQ, Muslims, refugees, and more — you are all my brothers and sisters. I’m so sorry America has let you down by voting a racist bigot into office. We are a national embarrassment and it is my fervent hope that we will redeem ourselves on the world stage in the coming years by showing just how inclusive we really are.

It’s been a rough couple of days. We’re mourning the departure of President Obama, a man who led our country with grace, class, and decency. We’re trying to come to terms with what the next four years may hold, and how fundamental rights may disappear for women, minorities, LGBTQ, Muslims, and more. America is in a tough place right now. But participating in this morning’s Women’s March made me feel a lot better about everything — clearly there are millions of like-minded people around the nation, and when we come together, we can reclaim our country and uphold the rights we’ve fought hard to achieve over the past 240 years.

I got on the metro around 8am to head downtown to Pershing Square, where the Los Angeles March began. The metro was already at capacity and I had to skip my original plan to meet several friends at Sunset & Vermont. Once downtown, I found a spot to stand in Pershing Square by 8:45am, and waited for two hours until the march finally began. The best part was reading everyone’s signs — they were so creative! — and chanting together. Feeling part of a bigger whole working towards the same the same goal. I’m so proud to have been part of it. Let history show that we stood up to protect our rights.

Now for the photos… I’ll skip the commentary so you can just scroll. Happy Women’s March Day!