Christy Turlington, Julianne Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Rosie Perez and thirteen other celebrities have joined Fedoras for Fairness, a national campaign promoting a comprehensive immigration reform bill that treats women and LGBT families fairly.
Why a fedora? From the campaign website: “Originally worn by women’s rights activists in the early 20th century, the campaign is using the fedora—an iconic unisex American fashion accessory—as both a metaphor and symbol: a metaphor for women’s multiple roles and identities; a symbol of support for reform legislation that is inclusive of the needs of women.”
Immigration issues are on the national stage right now as the House of Representatives gets ready to vote on the Senate’s proposed bill, but Fedoras for Fairness draws attention to a multitude of policies that have been sidelined in the debate over whether or not any reform should include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.
The campaign promotes a path to citizenship that incorporates the needs of women by recognizing the role of domestic work, ensuring protections to victims of violence and trafficking, and protecting the rights of families by preventing deportations that separate parents from their children.
The celebrity campaign was photographed by fashion photographer Albert Watson and the accompanying video (at the top) was directed by John Huba, based on the idea that immigration is part of the story of every American.
The tech industry has thrown its weight behind immigration reform in an attempt to bring more high-skilled foreign workers into the U.S., but at its heart, this is an issue that disproportionately affects the literally disenfranchised — people that have no vote, no power in our society. If we do pass a bill that lays out a path of citizenship to undocumented workers currently living in the U.S., especially according to the terms laid out by Fedoras for Fairness, it’ll be an act of justice.
Submit your own photo and see the rest of the campaign on the Fedoras for Fairness website or tweet your support using the hashtag #Fairdora.
