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'We Don't Stand Alone': Teens Prepare Signs For Women's March

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4)- It's Friday night and two Denver teenagers are spending it drawing.

"Teamwork!" one of them exclaims as they begin their creative work.

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It may seem ordinary for 13-year-old girls to doodle the night away, but this is no ordinary project.

"I hate that phrase, 'Boys will be boys,'" Lia Freehling said.

Women's March In Denver
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Lia and her friend Harper are creating signs for the 2018 Women's March. For the first time, the girls will join tens of thousands of others in downtown Denver for the event.

Women's March In Denver: A Guide To The 2018 Event

"I think it's important for women my age because obviously we're the next generation," Harper told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "We need to know when to speak up and we need to know when to point things out and say that's really not okay in our society."

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The two 8th graders explained they're currently learning a lot about politics at school. It's part of what's driving them to take part in the march, but mostly they're inspired by what's happening around the country today.

"I'm marching for women who are speaking up," Lia said. "I think it's really brave. I'm also marching because of a lot of things in our society that are acceptable. Like that men get paid more than women. I just don't understand why."

Women's March In Denver
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Anti-Trump messages motivated many to join the Women's March in 2017. Harper and Lia believe that will still be a big part of the 2018 event, but it's the "Me Too" and "Times Up" movements that inspired Harper and Lia to join.

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"I've just been so angry that so many men think its okay to sexually harass women and it's not. Every woman has been cat called," Harper said. "Every woman has some kind of story about sexual harassment or verbal harassment and it's really impactful to have them all gathered in the same place. It's nice to know we don't stand alone."

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A powerful message from a pair of 8th grade girls, and a not so ordinary project.

"Your voice is a powerful thing," Lia said. "If you don't use it, I don't think an impact will be made."

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team as the morning reporter in 2012. After serving as weekend morning anchor, Kelly is now Covering Colorado First for CBS4 News at 10. Connect with Kelly on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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