White Dresses, Black Votes: Congresswomen’s Fashion Fight

Congresswomen plan to show up in white for President Trump’s State of the Union, using clothing as a political tool. The idea started in 2017 when several Democrats wore white to honor women’s right to vote. Since then, most have stuck with that color, except in 2018 when black was chosen to support #MeToo. Last year’s speech saw a pink dress, signaling opposition to Trump’s policies. The Democratic Women’s Caucus says the color reflects current battles. Leader Teresa Leger Fernández says white signals that women’s voting rights are still under attack. She will not attend the address, but other caucus members will be there in white.Some Democrats will join a “People’s State of the Union” rally on the National Mall, organized by MoveOn. They plan to protest a new voter‑ID bill called the SAVE America Act. The bill would require proof of U. S. citizenship and a photo ID that shows citizenship to register or vote. Leger Fernández warns it could deny millions of voters, especially women who change names after marriage. The caucus believes the bill is a direct assault on democracy. White, they say, honors suffragists who fought for voting rights in 1920 and shows that women’s votes still matter today. They argue the bill tries to silence women's voices, so they will wear white to remember that history and keep fighting.