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These Margaret Atwood Signs Are Chilling

by Sara Levine
LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images

It's a pretty scary time to be a woman in the United States right now. There's a high probability of Roe v. Wade being overturned, and once Obamacare is repealed, access to affordable birth control will greatly diminish for millions of women. I'm obviously not the only one who is worried and angry about my reproductive rights being threatened — thousands of women across the country marched together on Jan. 21 to fight for their rights and empower each other. There has been a lot of great signs to come out of the Women's March — some incorporating quotes from feminist figures, some playing off movie quotes, and many more — but possibly my favorite posters have been Margaret Atwood signs from the Women's March.

I don't think I'm being hyperbolic when I say that the climate in the United States right now is feeling a little dystopian, and I'm obviously not the only one who feels that way. For a march supporting women's rights, it makes sense to call upon Margaret Atwood's works — especially The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian novel in which the United States is ruled by a totalitarian government that strips women of their rights, and certain women are designated to be child bearers for members of the ruling class. Feel eerily not that out of the realm of possibility? Yep. It's terrifying. But these signs are making me feel a little bit better knowing I'm not alone — and maybe they'll help you, too.

1. This Might Be The Realest Of All

So accurate. So genius.

Clearly this is a sentiment that really resonates with people.

2. Remember This Mantra

Translation: don't let the bastards grind you down. It's a quote from The Handmaid's Tale, and my personal mantra.

3. A PSA For Basically The Entire World

Seriously, that is not the kind of environment we should strive for.

Once again, work of fiction. Not instructional manual.

It's actually scary that so many women all had this same idea.

Seriously, though. Let's remember this.

4. YES To This Sign

It's a wholehearted "no" from me.

The Handmaid's Tale is a compelling and important book every person should read, but let's make sure it remains a work of fiction.