Geeks Will Take to the Streets at the March for Science

This Saturday is the March for Science, and it’s absolutely the nerdiest bit of activism I’ve ever been involved in. It’s pretty fantastic.

I’ve gone through many phases since the election of Donald Trump.  For a while I hid from it (Don’t Feel Guilty Seeking Comfort in Fandom).  I was pretty depressed and didn’t quite know what to do with myself.  Then I got active (How Geeks Can Get Through the Trump Presidency), though I still felt sort of aimless.  Then I ran into a few people on Twitter who were trying to get a local March for Science up and running.  Suddenly my activism had a focus.  Suddenly I was part of March for Science Honolulu.  I had a job to do.

The March for Science is non-partisan, but due to the world we’ve found ourselves living in, it’s certainly political.  Nature, lab sciences, technology, healthcare, and so much more are at risk.  The policies coming from the new administration are negatively affecting various aspects of science from cutting the EPA to limiting technology by removing privacy on the Internet (and subsequently hindering the flow information).  Doctors and our healthcare industry are facing drastic changes and National Parks are in danger.  Science is progress.  Science is vital.  Limiting it in such a way will have an extremely detrimental effect not only on the United States, but the entire world for many generations to come.  This is why I sought out a local march and ended up getting involved.

Unlike a lot of the organizers, I’m not a scientist or student.  Our common trait is that we’re all pretty geeky, but my passion focuses more on media than lab or natural sciences.  I know far more about science fiction than science fact.  And yet that’s important, too. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand how crucial it is in our daily lives. You would not be reading this article if it weren’t for science. The vast majority of you probably wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for science. I certainly wouldn’t be. I was born with a cleft pallet and science gave me a chance at life.  For these reasons – and thousands of others – I’ve decided this cause is worth the time and effort.  If you have benefited from science in any way, you have a reason to get out there and march, too.  A few hours of your Saturday will help send a powerful message.

And last, but not least! #Science makes me proud to be a geek! I <3 science fiction – @angel_ponders #ScienceMarch #hawaii #scifi #Aliens pic.twitter.com/WBl9OFqEeL

— Science March Hawaii (@ScienceMarchHI) April 5, 2017

There are currently 517 marches around the world scheduled to take place this weekend.  If there isn’t a March for Science near you, you can show support by signal boosting their efforts on social media.  Maybe next time you can help plan something near you.  Let’s tell the world how important these policy decisions are to us.

Author: Angel Wilson

Angel is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. They earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. They have contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. They identify as queer.

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