Women across the country are sharing photos of their traditional Palestinian gowns to celebrate the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
Tlaib, who is one of the first two Muslim women to join Congress on Thursday, announced last month that she would wear a Palestinian thobe when she is sworn into Congress.
The hand-embroidered gowns are considered one way Palestinian women can show pride for their heritage. The gowns typically represent the city the person wearing the clothing is from.
Tlaib’s decision to wear a thobe on the House floor sparked a wave of social media users to share photos of themselves in the gowns with the hashtag #TweetYourThobe.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, was part of a wave of women who made history in November’s midterm elections when she won her race to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
{mosads}She and Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who will become the first Somali-American member of Congress, will be the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.
Omar will be the first person to wear a hijab or headscarf on the floor after gaining religious exemption from the 181-year-old rule barring hats in the chamber.
Rep.-elect Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of the first of two Native American women elected to Congress, will also wear traditional attire during her swearing-in, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, will wear a Pueblo dress, silver and turquoise jewelry and moccasins.