It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of the President of the United States instructing female employees to “dress like women” was laughably implausible. But three weeks is a long time.
And President Trump has rendered many an implausible scenario entirely conceivable in that time. Alternate facts. Sacking officials who disagree with him. Questioning the credentials of judges who disagree with him. Seeking to escape the judiciary all together. Having public tantrums on Twitter.
President Trump’s tenure in the White House has been far from dull: the consequences are already being felt all around the world, in a variety of ways. And not all of them are dreadful.
Word of Trump’s preference for female staffers to “dress like women”, as has been reported by Axios, has kicked off a tremendous response.
All over the world women are sharing images of themselves, dressed like women. As pilots. Surgeons. Judges. Scientists. Conservationists.
It is social media at its very best as people take power into their own hands.
I’m Sophie. I am an #actuallivingscientist and I study how HIV hides from the immune system. #DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/5kCrY4XYKf
— Sophie Something (@ScientistSoph) February 3, 2017
#DressLikeAWoman Can do. pic.twitter.com/M86wScx4PU
— Sally Sara (@sallyjsara) February 3, 2017
Bring your baby. Teach her to vote. Teach her to govern. Dress like Licia Ronzulli in European Parliment. #DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/t3jNEPVaC2
— smoze (@sarahmozal) February 3, 2017
That’s me on the left wearing my favorite outfit #DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/M8UnQ2pBwE
— Rebecca Alleyne, MD (@BeckyAlleyneMD) February 3, 2017
Here’s my #dresslikeawoman image: announcing my appointment as Senior Counsel to @HighCourtAus with @FiMcLeodSC @BatrouneyQC @JaneNeedhamSC pic.twitter.com/icouXNbUgH
— Dom Hogan-Doran SC (@DHoganDoranSC) February 5, 2017
Hi, I’m PhD engineer and #ActualLivingScientist. I study bamboo as sustainable construction material. On site I know how #DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/zlupbgMVTM
— fparotts (@fparotts) February 4, 2017
Put on that flight suit and #DressLikeAWoman ? pic.twitter.com/s2D3uOL0ri
— Emily Calandrelli (@TheSpaceGal) February 3, 2017
I’m Holly and I work in the Peruvian Amazon studying and conserving large mammals #actuallivingscientist #DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/MYBLTebbPQ
— Holly O´Donnell (@hollyodonnell00) February 4, 2017
My mom, the first female pilot in Lebanon, dressed like a woman (3rd from right).#DressLikeAWoman pic.twitter.com/d55PNZU4Ki
— Maya Pilks (@mcpilks) February 4, 2017
The reason for the #DressLikeAWoman hashtag may be cause for despair, but the result? That’s cause for celebration.