Hundreds from Flathead expected to join Helena rally

Among the thousands of women expected to hold hands and encircle the State Capitol during the Women’s March on Montana today will be an 82-year-old great-grandmother whose optimism outweighs her anger.

Roxy Brothers, along with hundreds of others from throughout the Flathead Valley, will be taking part in one of 616 so-called sister marches around the world — including two in Antarctica — connected to the Women’s March on Washington. The organization’s namesake rally is expected to draw around 200,000 people to the nation’s capital.

The marches were hatched shortly after Donald Trump was elected president in November, and the group’s mission statement begins “the rhetoric of this past election cycle has insulted, demonized and threatened many of us.” But Brothers struck a sunnier chord on Thursday, taking pride in how many women — and men — have signed up to join the march to champion women’s rights and the broader human rights that the protesters feel are threatened by the new administration.

“I just look for folks to become more active, and if you have support you’re able to do that,” Roxy Brothers said on Thursday. “There’s a lot of good people in this world.”

Brothers initially wanted to march on Washington with two of her daughters, a granddaughter and two great-granddaughters, but the mother of nine will instead board one of two buses bound for Helena from the valley this morning. Dozens of other vans and carpools have been organized to provide additional transportation.

Nancy Kaumeyer, of Whitefish, arranged the second bus after the first one was filled and said it took less than two weeks for all 47 seats to be claimed. Kaumeyer, too, said she first looked into traveling to Washington, and she joined Brothers in seeing a bright side.

“I feel like it’s a way of putting a positive spin on the things that I believe,” she said. “I don’t want to just sit back and let things happen that I don’t believe in. Whether or not it does any good, at least I am making an effort to be heard, and a lot of us are making an effort to be heard, and I really do believe that it’s going to be heard.”

Kaumeyer, Brothers and the others interviewed for this story, however, did not let the encouraging expected turnout conceal their fear and anger regarding Trump’s presidency.

“I have never done a march,” Kaumeyer said. “I’m 62 years old. I’ve lived through a lot, I’ve seen a lot. I think I just got to the point where I’m not going back. I’m not going to sit here and watch this affect my children who are young adults. I’m just mad about it. I just can’t go back and I can’t go back graciously.”

Kaumeyer expressed concern for women’s reproductive rights and the equal rights of minority groups, and while the marches are not characterized as anti-Trump, none of the protesters interviewed had many kind words for the new president.

“I DON’T agree with the Trump presidency and I don’t agree with anything that Trump has said about women during his run-up for the presidency,” Bonnie Baker, a Whitefish resident traveling to Helena, said. “It needs to be brought to the forefront that women don’t agree with the things that he’s said. They’re abusive. They’re rude.”

Baker is a member of Soroptimist International of Whitefish, a women’s philanthropic organization, and expressed concern for the future of Planned Parenthood, among other issues, under the new administration.

“I don’t think that they understand what Planned Parenthood actually does for women and children,” she said.

Judy Rosenfeld-Cox, president of the Flathead County Democratic Women, organized the first bus from the valley and said the mission of the march has grown from an initial Facebook post supporting women’s rights to a more all-encompassing program.

“It’s sort of about unifying marginalized communities,” she said. “LGBTQ, Native people, the rights of Muslims and other religious groups. Personally, I’m concerned with the environment. In Montana, that is a big issue, and I’m sure that will be addressed (today).”

Those interested in attending are asked to arrive at 11:30 a.m. with the march stepping off at noon. A rally will be held immediately after the march, at approximately 12:50 p.m. Speakers scheduled include Lisa Bullock, the First Lady of Montana, Rachel Carroll Rivas, the director of the Montana Human Rights Network, and several other activists.

Organizers are planning for a peaceful demonstration, and those traveling from the valley are looking forward to gaining strength through connecting with like-minded individuals.

“I think just holding hands with folks that feel the same way you do and feel like they have been looked over will be great,” Brothers said. “There will be young and old and middle. There will even be some men there. It’s just really time to get together and feel some camaraderie that maybe we can do things if we stand together.”

When looking to the future, however, the 82-year-old wasn’t about to assume today’s rally is the end of the road.

“We’re not going to know the next day or the next week or even the next month if it was, so to speak, a success,” Brothers said.

“It could be a year before we have any inclination, and maybe we’ll have to do it again next year.”

Entertainment editor Andy Viano may be reached at (406) 758-4439 or aviano@dailyinterlake.com.