forbes women's summit

Janet Mock Thinks We Should Speak More Directly About How Donald Trump Has Affected Women

Janet Mock. Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

The Cut is reporting live from today’s Forbes Women’s Summit in New York City. Here’s what you’re missing.

In a panel discussion about the politics of sparking a movement at today’s Forbes Women’s Summit, trans activist and writer Janet Mock explained what she believed to be a small failing of the current political moment. “I’m just going to say 45’s name,” she announced, the first time it had been uttered all day. “Donald Trump has become kind of the bogeyman in the room that no one is talking about, but he has affected women on so many levels. We’re not speaking about that plainly and we’re not saying that this is one of the reasons why so many women showed up to this movement. It’s because they were targeted. They were being told their rights are being taken from them.”

On stage with Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, actress and activist Kerry Washington, and journalist Tamron Hall, Mock went on to say that she always sees opportunities to align seemingly different progressive movements. “I was one of 13 women who helped craft the policy for the guiding vision and principles of the Women’s March,” she explained. “In that space, Raquel Willis, another trans woman of color, also spoke. She’s been a mentee of mine for many years. She was on that stage making comments and remarks about our community, and centering our experiences. When people talk about women’s spaces, so often trans women are not included. It’s vital for us to speak out about that more often.”

The Women’s March was one place where Mock witnessed her vision for intersectionality playing out. “There was so much power in that activation in all of us gathering,” she said, “in hearing one another and seeing one another and seeing the ways in which our separate liberations and experiences are directly linked.”

Janet Mock: Let’s Speak Plainly About How Trump Hurts Women