Lawmakers wear white to State of the Union to show solidarity with women

Dozens of lawmakers appeared at the Capitol on Tuesday dressed in white to show solidarity with women ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address.

A majority of the lawmakers who dressed in white were Democratic women, whose outfits are a nod to the suffragette movement of the early 20th century.

Photos on social media showed groups of lawmakers posing in their all-white ensembles hours before Trump is slated to give his speech.

House Democratic women wearing white to tonight’s #SOTU to show solidarity with suffragettes pic.twitter.com/ivzRAYdL4F

— Cristina Marcos (@cimarcos) February 5, 2019

The state of the union (at the Capitol) is … crowded. pic.twitter.com/g7qtdxIvM7

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) February 5, 2019

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will be standing behind Trump as he gives his address, was seen in pictures wearing all white.

House Democratic women pose pre-SOTU in suffragette white pic.twitter.com/YCURcy5gTi

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) February 5, 2019

“Today we stand together wearing white in solidarity with the women of the suffrage movement who refused to take no for an answer,” Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), a leader of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, said at a press conference on Tuesday surrounded by other female House Democrats wearing white.

{mosads}”To an administration that has closed its eyes to women, we will be seen,” Lawrence said.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was seen handing out white ribbons for men in the Democratic caucus to wear to the State of the Union. 

At least one male lawmaker, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), showed up to a House Democratic lawmaker group photo Tuesday afternoon wearing a white suit. 

.⁦@RepDeanPhillips⁩ showing up all the men in the Democratic Caucus when it comes to honoring women. That’s commitment. pic.twitter.com/zGJUbY4aIB

— Rebecca Kaplan (@RebeccaRKaplan) February 5, 2019

Last week, the House Democratic Women’s Working Group urged female members from both parties to wear white to Tuesday’s State of the Union.

Group chairwoman Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) said the outfit choice “is a respectful message of solidarity with women across the country.”

Democratic women in 2017 also wore white during Trump’s joint address to Congress to show their support for women’s issues, including equal pay and reproductive rights. 

Trump’s State of the Union that year came just weeks after his inauguration and the massive Women’s March protests that followed.

The 116th Congress has a record number of 127 women lawmakers.