Have you seen ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ costumed woman in Columbus? Here’s why she’s in the city

This week you may have noticed a woman in a red cloak and white hood carrying an upside-down American flag, seemingly wandering the streets of Columbus.

Cindy Richards, a fourth generation veteran and retired Naval officer, has been demonstrating in cities across the country in direct protest of the current administration and what she calls the “grifters and thieves in the White House.”

To her, both her costume and the flag are important symbols that she hopes will “alert communities” to advocate for “more guardrails” against what she perceives as corruption and unconstitutional practices by President Donald Trump.

She has also protested in Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and outside the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility, which she says she’s visited five times.

Most recently, before she came to Columbus, she joined a demonstration marking the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

The costume

Richards’ cloak is a direct reference to Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel and TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which she says is a poignant symbol of the erosion of women’s rights.

She is affiliated with the activist network, Handmaid’s Army DC, whose mission is to “to amplify voices silenced by oppression, inspire solidarity among diverse and marginalized communities, to stand against injustice, inequity, corruption, cruelty, and attacks on all human rights.”

In the novel and series, the red cloak and white bonnet serve as a “modesty costume” designed by an oppressive regime to erase female individuality.

However, in real life, the uniform has been powerfully recontextualized into a globally recognized symbol of political defiance, reproductive rights, and resistance against female oppression.

The flag

Richards displays an upside down American flag to signal, in her words, “this country is in dire straits” and describes it as part of her “duty and honor as a veteran” to warn her fellow Americans of a problem.

She says, “As a USN Veteran, I never imagined I would be forced to invert my flag, in accordance with the United States Flag Code.”

According to the United States Flag Code, displaying the American flag upside down (with the union of stars at the bottom) is strictly reserved as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

The flag itself belonged to Richards’ father-in-law, a veteran and long-time fishing enthusiast who suffered a stroke two years ago and is now paralyzed, non-verbal and bedridden. The pole is his antique bamboo fishing rod and the flag is embroidered and was among his belongings.

Richards said she carries it upside down with his knowledge and support, calling it a signal that America, under its current leadership, is in grave danger.

Richards believes, “they are currently raping our children and stealing our taxes and our country.”

The public reception

Richards said most interactions with the public have been positive, but confrontations, while less frequent, have grown more intense.

She spent a few days in Uptown, where she was approached, and then followed and accosted, by someone with counter beliefs. Richards says she is willing to have conversations with anyone as long as they remain safe and respectful.

The intended takeaway

Richards said her goal isn’t to convince people to agree with her, but to get them talking. She wants to encourage others to organize, informally in small groups if they need to, within their own neighborhoods.

She also calls for invoking “Article II Section 4” of the 27th Amendment, which establishes the grounds and process for the impeachment and removal of the President, Vice President, and all civil officers.

Under this amendment, the President can be removed from office for conviction of Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors

“I don’t need people to think the same way I do,” she said. “I just need people to realize that we all have a right to this country.”

Have you seen Mrs. Richards around town? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.