As our favourite TV stars roll in to the 69th Emmy Awards ceremony, quite a few are donning a blue ribbon, but what’s it for?
They’re a part of the American Civil Liberties Union’s “Stand with ACLU” initiative.
What’s ACLU?
The non-profit organisation takes on the toughest civil liberties cases, including full equality for LGBT people and preserving the right to have an abortion, in order to defend all Americans from government abuse and overreach.
Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls alum, donned the ribbon at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards just days ago where she took home a statue for her role in The Handmaid’s Tale.
“It’s really an incredible thing when creating art inspires conversation and is thought provoking enough to stand out in this way,” she said after her win.
“It’s really just an honour to do the work and be a part of that and be a part of the conversation in that way.”
Her co-star and lead actress in The Handmaid’s Tale Elisabeth Moss also had a prominent blue ribbon on her clutch. Elisabeth is up for Best Actress in the Drama category and the ribbon is particularly fitting for the role she’s being recognised for.
Husband and wife acting duo Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, who wrote and starred in the best movie of the year The Big Sick (note: writer’s opinion but it’s true), also accessorized with ACLU ribbons.
This small show of activism comes as no surprise from the pair – the stars often take to social media to discuss politics and social justice.
Blue Ribbons at the Oscars
If you think you’ve seen the ribbons before, you’re not wrong. The ribbons also featured heavily at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Ruth Negga, who was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Loving, added the blue ribbon to her stunning high-neck Valentino red gown, a statement particularly relevant to her nomination.
Loving details the lives of an interracial couple in 1958 who broke Virginia’s ‘miscengenation’ laws banning marriage between blacks and whites. After writing to Robert F. Kennedy for help, the real couple was referred to the ACLU who then represented them in the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia (1967). It was this case that saw the Court rule state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was nominated for best song, and his mum also wore blue ribbons – a fact of little surprise given the strong themes of pro-immigration and urgency to force change in his hit musical, Hamilton.
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