On the night of the Oscars, which was, sadly, the last day of February break, I witnessed my social media feeds fill up with pictures of glamorous red carpet fashion and afterparties. As expected, there were many beautiful dresses and tuxedos; at the same time, I noticed that there was some buzz surrounding a new fashion trend: the ACLU blue pins. From Lin-Manuel Miranda to Karlie Kloss, celebrities were sporting these pins in support of the ACLU, making this year’s Academy Awards one of the most political yet. In a time when Donald Trump is all the rage when it comes to the media, it’s hard to avoid political messages, especially those found in one of the most watched televised events in America.
So what is the ACLU? The ACLU, or American Civil Liberties Union, is a national non-profit organization that works “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.” Recently, the ACLU worked in the court system to block President Trump’s (first) “Muslim Ban,” Donald Trump’s notorious “SEE YOU IN COURT!” catchphrase turning into the ACLU’s motivational mantra.
In response to the blue ribbons worn by the stars, the ACLU took to Twitter and posted a “surprised” reaction.
This got people on social media stirred up about political statements made at events like these. Is it acceptable if Meryl Streep can go onto a stage to receive an award, only to make a political speech that subsequently becomes national news? Is the backlash – attacking people who choose to make political statements simply because they used a bigger event to reach a wider audience – acceptable either? The debate is clearly far from over (as democracy suggests), and, besides, the ACLU has benefitted immensely from the attention.
Fashion has always been a popular medium for people to express their point of view, and this election was by no means a missed opportunity. During the election cycle, quite a few people wore pins, t-shirts, and hats (you know what I’m talking about). The ACLU ribbon pin, new to notoriety, has seemingly exceeded its effectiveness in spreading its message. Wearing these pins at the Academy Awards has given the ACLU the national media spotlight, and thus a strong platform to raise awareness and money. Whether you disagree with them or not, the ACLU has been a strong, influential, and effective force in the movement to resist Donald Trump’s actions.
While I am an avid supporter of political dissent and the freedom of the press, I sometimes get eyesore from reading about “The Donald” or something controversial – controversy has become the norm, and it’s essentially not news anymore when someone has done or said something controversial. But this caught my eye, and in a time when politics are so divided, it is important to speak out and let our politicians know what’s up. Democracy is about taking everyone’s points of view into consideration, even if they disagree with us (this applies to both sides of the aisle).
For more information about the ACLU, you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or visit them on their website, aclu.org.
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