Advocacy, Campaigns, & Special Projects

Shira was a co-organizer of and speaker at the local Women's March to Save Democracy, on Saturday, October 17, 2020, held locally - as an alternative to a mass rally in January in D.C. This event made history for being the first political rally in Stamford to showcase all women speakers, which was well received. PinkWave, Stamford Women’s Talking Circle, The S.W.A.T. Team - Suburban Women Against Trump, and Stronger Together CT partnered up with the national Women's March. Having run concurrently with hundreds of Women’s Marches in 50 states across the country on that same day, the local rally saw 300 attendees, outdoors, safety masked and socially distanced. This event was a massive effort and couldn't have been done without a large team of dedicated local activists. Special thanks to Tutem Masks for a generous in-kind donation of masks for march-goers and Printabilitees for their "She Is Speaking" T-shirts.

As co-founder of PinkWave Action, Shira helped to organize a special Day of Remembrance in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Held outside of the State of Connecticut’s Superior Court in Stamford on September 20, 2020, the event was a platform for people to pay their respects to Justice Ginsburg, trailblazer for gender equality and human rights in the U.S. 

Speakers included Governor Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Congressman Jim Himes, State Senator Alex Kasser, The Honorable Mary Sommer, and Brook Manewal, founder, Stamford Women's Talking Circle and co-founder of PinkWave Action.

After the signing of the most restrictive anti-abortion measure passed in the United States since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, organizer Shira Tarantino assembled a team of local pro-choice advocates in the 24 hours following and created the WE WON'T GO BACK! rally in Stamford, CT on May 17, 2019. Speakers from across the state, including Attorney General William Tong and other elected officials and representatives from Planned Parenthood Votes! CT, ACLU, student activists, and other community leaders, came together to protest the recent restrictive bans in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio. The rally shed light on the need for access to safe and legal abortion, emphasized the importance of voting, and inspired people to take action.

In collaboration with Stamford Women's Talking Circle, Shira was a member of the organizing team for the #PinkWave2020 Rally for Women’s Rights, which swept the City of Stamford, Connecticut on January 18, 2020. Held in solidarity with Women’s Marches across the state, and the Women’s Marches in NY and DC that same day, 200 community members joined us in below-freezing temps to stand up, speak out, and commit to taking action.