The 83rd annual Golden Globes saw celebrities wearing Anti-ICE pins. At what point do we ditch the performative political fashion and ask celebrities to lead the public, or actually be good?
The pins seen at the award show were in honor of Renee Good, a mother of three who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7. Those supporting and producing the pins referred to the cause as the #BeGood Campaign, meant to support and lead others in the pursuit of kindness, and to honor those who have suffered at the hands of the unkind, according to The New York Times.
The 2026 Golden Globes saw various high-profile celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, Ariana Grande, Wanda Sykes and others wearing these simple pins in support of the #BeGood campaign. While to some, this display is gratifying and restorative to the families of those affected, what are these pins actually doing for those who are affected, and how are they leading the movement further?
We have seen this form of protest before at the 2024 Oscar awards, as reported by NPR. Artists wore red pins on their outfits in support of Artists4Ceasefire in support of the cause, before the announcement of the proposed Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire.
These pins do not affect the legislature or protections that those doing these acts are receiving. For example, the Indiana bill that was recently sent to the House, which enforces local cooperation and penalizes noncompliance with these federal agents, as described by the Indiana Capitol Chronicle, is allowing this brutality to take place. These pins do not serve as an outward call to action, nor are they even particularly informative to those watching at home.
“This is for the people in the United States who are terrorized and scared today. I know I’m one of them,” said actor and filmmaker Mark Ruffalo, in an interview with USA Today.
This moment, with Ruffalo taking a verbal stand through his own platform as an actor, may have been the most informative of the award ceremony, but that is where the information and action end when it comes to these palm-sized statements. While plenty of celebrities do commit to change further than what we are seeing, like Ariana Grande has done for children in Gaza, according to Roya News, many stop at these gestures.
On one hand, these notions of resistance can create a trusting community that helps those around them. On the other hand, they often take the place of real action. While it is important to speak out against institutional violence, speaking out is becoming increasingly ineffective every single day.
Justice requires action. People need support and community. Those who have been victimized by this brutality deserve more than a pin; they deserve justice. Pins worn at a high-class event on the lapel of a $3,000 suit are not providing those resources.
