by Lauren Levey
On Saturday, July 24, 2021, a dozen women staged a protest in New York City. It coincided with the arrival of the official Olympic Rings sculpture at Rockefeller Center. The simple message to the International Olympic Committee: Men don’t belong in women’s Olympic sports. It’s not fair.
The protest organizer was Jesika Gonzalez, lately known on social media as founder of Terf Collective. With no prior protest experience, Jesika deftly navigated the group of women through the minefields of security, permits, chants, flyers, posters, and more; and the result was simply brilliant.
In planning a protest in the wake of the WiSpa fiasco in Los Angeles, all participants were justifiably anxious to avoid a similar free-for-all in Manhattan. Jesika wisely stressed secrecy over having a large number of participants; and it paid off. There was no counter-protest.
In fact, responses from pedestrians on Fifth Avenue were overwhelmingly positive. There were lots of thumbs up, big smiles, and encouraging words. Karen Davis, whose YouTube channel “You’re Kiddin’, Right?” has taken on transgenderism with hilarity as well as insight, stopped by and hung out with us.
One woman stopped, raised both fists in the air, and said “Thank you! I am a marathon runner! Thank you!!” A man, taking one of the flyers, said “You are doing God’s work.” Another woman: “It’s about time!”
In the two hours of protest, there were only three individuals who shouted FU or something like it.
The experience was exhilarating and inspiring for all participants, and clearly for some New Yorkers too. When the media refuses to cover the message, we can take it directly to the people. All the women who participated are up for doing more actions like this — well planned, disciplined, and high energy.
Great job, Jesika and everyone who participated!
You are all TRULY stunning and BRAVE.
And inspirational.
Here’s to the well-planned safety and visibility of gender-critical activists.
Thank you, all!
Jesika is a rock star! Bravo to all the women who participated. Yes to all of the positive responses proving that we really are on the right side of this issue!
There might be fewer positive responses from passersby in other cities; we are nevertheless on the right side of this issue: Men aren’t women.
This was a worthy event and the support from New Yorkers was overwhelming.