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Women's March Focuses on Marginalized Voices, Legislation

The marchers walked from Monument Circle to the American Legion Mall.
Photo by Carter Barrett.
The marchers walked from Monument Circle to the American Legion Mall.

More than 100 people rallied in the freezing rain on Saturday for the Women’s March in Indianapolis.

Speakers covered a wide range of topics, such as the importance of uplifting marginalized groups and running for public office.

Shelly Fitzgerald, the Roncalli High School counselor who received national attention last year after her marriage to a woman led to her suspension, was the keynote speaker. Her speech called for unity within the movement.

"We have to forget our differences for now and focus on our similarities," Fitzgerald said. "When we are divided into smaller groups, we are simply not as strong.”

Last week, Fitzgerald filed a discrimination claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This is the first step in filing a possible lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Other speakers at the rally voiced support for certain legislation at the Statehouse, including a hate crime bill and a bill that would prohibit gay conversion therapy.

The event coincided with the national Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

Carter Barrett was a reporter for Side Effects Public Media, a Midwest health reporting collaboration based at WFYI. A long-time Hoosier, she is thrilled to stay in her hometown to cover public health. Previously, she covered education for WFYI News with a focus on school safety. Carter graduated with a journalism degree from Indiana University, and previously interned with stations in Bloomington, Indiana and Juneau, Alaska.
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