Donald Trump is a man of the people who just happens to live in a golden tower in Manhattan, and as a man of the people, he has an innate distrust for all celebrities. That’s why he probably only cried a little bit when virtually every famous person turned down an offer to attend or perform at his inauguration, leaving him with nothing but begrudging support from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Rockettes. Apparently, though, a lot of famous people had a good reason for why they can’t make it to Trump’s inauguration on January 20: They’ll be too busy protesting against him that weekend.
At least two star-studded anti-Trump and anti-GOP events are happening on the days before and after the inauguration, and just to kick a little bit of extra salt in the wound, they’ll actually be held in the Washington D.C. area. First up is a Planned Parenthood benefit concert on January 19 that will be headlined by Common and the National. According to Rolling Stone, the show will also feature “activists, elected leaders, celebrities, and more who support abortion rights and widespread access for women to reproductive health services.”
In a statement, the National’s Matt Berninger said that “women should be able to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and health,” and that the ability to do so “is a basic human right.” This comes after Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan have expressed a desire to completely defund Planned Parenthood—despite all of the money that Pence has donated to the organization since the election.
On January 21, the first full day of what historians will call “The Trump Era,” an event called The Women’s March On Washington will see even more celebrities (and non-famous activists) declaring their intention to fight for the rights of women, workers, immigrants, LGBT people, and all the other demographics that the GOP hates. This comes from Variety, which says the march in D.C. and other marches around the country will include the likes of America Ferrera, Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, Cher, Olivia Wilde, Julianne Moore, Hari Nef, Frances McDormand, Patricia Arquette, Debra Messing, Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler, and Uzo Aduba.
America Ferrera released a statement saying that many people “fear that their voices will go unheard,” so she believes it’s important for everyone to “stand together in solidarity” for the protection of everyone’s rights. She also notes that these issues “are not special interests,” because “they affect us all and should be every American’s concern.”