Actor-producer Kerry Washington wore a safety pin to the politically charged 2017 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday “to show solidarity” with the activists protesting President Donald Trump’s executive actions on border security and his temporary suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
“I’ll be wearing one of these tonight. On my arm. To show solidarity,” the Scandal star wrote on Instagram in reference to the safety pin, an anti-Trump symbol of support for refugees and immigrants.
“We will not stop fighting for our safety & the safety of our fellow citizens and human beings. #NoBanNoWall#safetypin,” Washington wrote:
Washington wore the safety pin on her left arm as she strutted down the red carpet.
The 39-year-old actress was up for an Emmy Award at Sunday night’s ceremony for her role as Anita Hill in the HBO movie Confirmation.
During a red carpet interview with E News, Washington said, “I want to tell you about my safety pin.”
“The safety pin is a symbol of solidarity and standing up for people who are feeling endangered at this time: people of color, the LGBTQ community, women,” she said.
Washington, like so many other stars honored on Sunday night, used her time in front of the camera to affirm her right as a celebrity to be an activist for the causes about which she cares.
“A lot of people are saying right now that actors shouldn’t express their opinions when it comes to politics. But the truth is, actors are activists, no matter what,” Washington said. “We embody the worth and humanity of all people. This union really helps me to do that. I’m Kerry Washington, and I am an actor”:
Indeed, the SAG Awards was a platform for anti-Trump talk, from Stranger Things actor David Harbour, who urged protesters to punch people in the face over their politics, to HBO’s Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who used her acceptance speech to call Trump’s temporary immigration ban “un-American.”
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