Recently, there has been a surge of people claiming that wearing a safety pin is the highest form of activism. For those of you have not heard of this craze, people have been urging to wear a safety pin to show solidarity with minorities and let them know that you are a safe space. This was originally used by the british as a symbol of solidarity with refugees and muslims after Brexit. Theoretically, this is not a bad idea; it would alert people that they are able to count on you for help. However there are several problems with this “activism”.
One being that the idea is being exploited by jewelers and individuals attempting to make profit out of it. Listings for gold plated or jewel encrusted safety pins on Etsy run from $50 to $300+. Even high-end retailers like Barney’s are selling gold, diamond encrusted safety pins for over $1,000. Not only is this completely absurd, but it also sends the wrong message to those that you are attempting to aid. Instead of spending a small fortune on a safety pin, donate that money to minorities and charities helping those affected by the election.
Vogue recently released an article where they claim that wearing a safety pin is “a quiet, personal way to support your fellow Americans.” The problem with this is that we should not be trying to quiet our activism, make it loud. Throughout history, we can see that very seldomly was social change made through quiet means. Everything from the suffrage movement to the civil rights movement were fought through protesting and resisting from both the oppressed and their allies. If you want to show solidarity with minorities, come to protests, volunteer at LGBTQ+ centers, refugee shelters, etc., and always stand up for minorities if you see them being harassed by others.
Something else to keep in mind is that the safety pin symbol has recently been hijacked by white supremacists. Posters have been appearing on 4chan boards claiming that white brothers should wear safety pins as a “silent protest against loxism, white genocide, and anti-nationalism.” There is also speculation that people could be using this symbol to lure in minorities and attack them.
These empty symbols of passive activism are nothing more than a calling card of white guilt. Fake “wokeness” will not protect minorities; if you want to show your support, put down the safety pin and invest in some real activism.
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