Just a week ago, hundreds of Michigan men and women came out for the HANDS OFF! Rally for Reproductive Justice. Not only was it truly inspiring, it was liberating to turn heads in my “Vagina” t-shirt, demonstrate that I value autonomy over my own body via some not-so-coordinated dance moves, and to be one amongst a huge community of people who rallied and danced in solidarity.
While I took pride in my own participation, dancing alone would not have been as fun, and the resounding echo of “vagina” that reverberated around the halls of the Capitol would definitely have been less powerful if there weren’t so many other voices there to chant with me.
It is so important to keep in mind that we are one of many voices, and while we not only have the right to exercise our ability to make our individual voices heard, we also rely on each other to show up at the polls and vote.
This election year there are many issues, in addition to reproductive rights, at stake, and they are far too important to allow others to dictate how they will be handled.
In past election years, misinformation and voter suppression tactics have led to confusion at the polls. That's why the ACLU of Michigan and our coalition partners are working hard to protect the most essential right we have, from producing Know Your Voting Rights cards to guiding college students though the process of figuring out how and where to vote with our Student Voting Made Easy microsite.
This is a critical time for us to rally together to protect what we value and hold our representatives accountable by collectively casting our ballots on November 6th.
Remember, the registration deadline is October 9th; everyone who wishes to participate in the General Election this year (this means you) must register by this date, by either mailing in a registration form to or visiting a local branch of the Secretary of State.
I believe that we do have control over our future, but only if we each take the initiative to transform our civic duty into a personal responsibility, and vote.
By Mallika Kaushal, ACLU of Michigan Intern
