The Powerful Reason Americans Are Wearing Safety Pins

In June, following the Brexit vote that rocked much of the United Kingdom, thousands of people around the U.K. began to wear a tiny, but mighty, safety pin as a message of hope.

As we reported then:

“Following last week’s stunning Brexit vote, the United Kingdom saw a staggering 57 percent increase in reported incidents of xenophobic abuse, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Some victims even took to social media to share photos of the alleged verbal and physical abuse they have suffered since the vote.”

Following the vicious incidences, an American Twitter user named Allison hatched a powerful idea to show solidarity to victims of hate. As she suggested:

[quote position="full" is_quote="true"]I quite like the idea of just putting a safety pin, empty of anything else, on your coat. A literal SAFETY pin! [/quote]

The idea quickly spread. In fact, the idea is still spreading, as American social media users are now sharing their own take on the pin, offering to wear the token to show their own support for victims of hate after the election of Donald Trump.

The symbol is small but the message is huge: We are with you. Stand up for all hate, and come together as citizens for a bigger, brighter future that hopefully, one day, won’t need secret messages of hope.