Why Congressional Women Including Nancy Pelosi Are Wearing White at the State of the Union

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Female lawmakers made a statement through their clothing as they arrived for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. tonight.

To mark the 100-year anniversary of women gaining the right to vote, the Democratic Women’s Caucus in the House organized the effort, which dozens of legislators, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, participated in. The 19th amendment granting women’s suffrage was passed in 1920. White is a shade heavily associated with women’s suffrage: In demonstrations and parades in the early 20th century, activists would wear white dresses in hopes of getting their photos printed in the newspapers.

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Some Congresswomen also sported green “Era Yes!” buttons endorsing the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would be intended to ensure equality between the sexes.

This is not the first time Congressional women have worn white to the State of the Union. Last year, Democratic legislators arrived for the joint session of Congress wearing the hue. In 2018, they wore all black in solidarity with the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements. Many women also elected to wear red pins reading “Recy” in 2018 in support of Recy Taylor, an Alabama woman who was raped by six white men in the 1940s.

In 2017, for President Trump’s first SOTU address, the Congressional women were clad in white, just as they are tonight and as they did in 2019.

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