Women's March Aims To Give A Voice To Those Whose Message Has Been Lost
By Jamie Leary
DENVER (CBS4)- The 2018 Women's March in Denver carries the same message as the inaugural march but has added a few new voices to better represent its mission.
The 2018 speaker lineup is full of passionate and often underrepresented women. Donna Gunnison, 63, is one of those women. Her speech on Saturday is particularly significant. She says she has spent her life trying to get people to listen.
"I felt really misunderstood and dismissed and people tried to silence me," said Gunnison. "They try to shut me up."
Women's March In Denver: A Guide To The 2018 Event
Gunnison was born with Prader Willi Syndrome, a complex genetic disorder affecting appetite, growth, metabolism, cognitive function, and behavior. As a result, Gunnison has trouble with her speech but she has plenty she wants to say. Saturday is the beginning of Gunnison finally being heard.
"This is for people that have been underestimated or somewhat overlooked."
Gunnison was careful not to give away too much of her speech but she was willing to give CBS4 a sneak peek.
"I struggled to be heard for 63 years. People were always trying to silence me. So often people have put words into my mouth to the point that I didn't even know my truth. Many, many times it seems that my voice didn't matter."
On Saturday, Gunnison will have the attention of nearly 200,000 people.
Women's March In Denver: A Guide To The 2018 Event
Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.