From Slate Magazine · Kate Lindsay · · 1m 40s
Pussyhat Feminism: A 10-Year Legacy
The pink pussyhat that started as a feminist symbol now sparks debate over its legacy and impact on activism.
In brief
The pink pussyhat that started as a feminist symbol now sparks debate over its legacy and impact on activism. The 2016 pussyhat movement, designed to show solidarity, became controversial for its association with genitalia and exclusion of transgender women, but inspired new initiatives like the Melt the ICE hat…
Pussyhat Project Launch
A 10-year-old hat project began as a symbol of feminist solidarity after Trump’s 2016 election.
“If everyone at the march wears a pink hat, the crowd will be a sea of pink, showing that we stand together, united”
Design and Purpose
Knitters created a simple pink hat pattern to show unity, inspired by Trump’s leaked 2005 comments about women’s bodies.
“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ‘em by the pussy.”
Initial Virality
By January 2017, 100,000 hats were made, worn by women at the Women’s March in Washington.
“Sisterhood Is Powerful”
Controversy Emerge
Critics claimed the hats excluded transgender women and reinforced white feminism through pink color symbolism.
“How the Women’s March’s ‘genital-based’ feminism isolated the transgender community”
Transgender Perspectives
A knitter avoided the movement due to the risk of harassment as a trans person of color during Trump’s election.
“At the time, i didn’t have the energy to have that conversation ad nauseam while also navigating trump’s inauguration as a trans person of color”
Suh’s Clarification
Suh emphasized pink was a reclaim of frivolous femininity, not genitalia, and denied transphobic intent.
“i never thought that by calling it the ‘pussyhat’ that it was saying that women’s issues are predicated on the possession of the pussy”
Zweiman’s Reflection
Zweiman acknowledged the hat’s exclusion of non-pink women and its cat-ear symbolism.
“this is all true, but they’re cat ears”
2026 Melt the ICE Hat
In 2026, a red hat pattern raised $850,000 for migrant justice after immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis.
“melt the ice”
Welcome Blanket Project
Zweiman’s 2017 project has gifted over 8,000 blankets to refugees through immigrant partnerships.
“welcome blanket”
Craftivism Impact
The pussyhat movement inspired new activism through accessible knitting projects for social change.
“if you have never shown up in any way before, you have never made anything”
Legacy and Evolution
The pussyhat’s 10-year journey shows how a simple symbol can evolve from exclusion to inclusive action.
“when you put something out in the world, you can’t take it back”
The key point
The 2016 pussyhat movement, designed to show solidarity, became controversial for its association with genitalia and exclusion of transgender women, but inspired new initiatives like the Melt the ICE hat.
