Politics

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Made A Personal Stand Against Trump’s Muslim Ban At The SAG Awards

"I am the daughter of an immigrant."

by Meg Watson  30 January 2017

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The SAG Awards are currently underway and… yep, I think this is the first time the world has paid any attention to them. The annual Screen Actors Guild ceremony (which falls between the very similar Golden Globes and Oscars) is proving more interesting than usual this year due to its timing with horrific political events in the US.

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Protests Have Broken Out At New York's JFK Airport Over Trump's Muslim Ban

The biggest names in Hollywood are currently gathered in front of the world’s media, just one day after the implementation of Donald Trump’s temporary immigration ban on refugees and travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries. The ban has left people detained in airports and many separated from their families all over the world; it’s also provoked hundreds of thousands to protest in response. This time, the celebs aren’t waiting for Meryl Streep to make the first move in speaking out against it.

In an opening message before the awards presentation, Scandal star Kerry Washington set the mood for the night and pre-empted critiques. “A lot of people are saying right now that actors should keep their mouths shut when it comes to politics,” she said. “But the truth is, no matter what, actors are activists because we embody the humanity and worth of all people.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has now followed suit and delivered a passionate address in opposition to the ban. After winning the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her work in Veep, Louis-Dreyfus jovially mocked Trump then very seriously declared her support for those fighting his executive order.

“Whether the Russians did or did not hack tonight’s SAG Awards, I look out on the million or, probably even million and a half people in this room, and I say this award is legitimate and I won. I am the winner; the winner is me; landslide,” she said.

“But, to a less insane note, I’d like to say that I am a very proud member of this union. I’m thrilled to be here tonight and I thanks the Screen Actors Guild. I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France and I am an American patriot and I love this country. And because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes. This immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American.”

“Our sister guild the WGA made a statement today that I would like to read because I’m in complete agreement with it: ‘Our guilds are unions of storytellers who have always welcomed those from nations of varying beliefs who wish to share their creativity with America. We are grateful for them, we will stand with them, and we will fight for them’.”

The comedian isn’t the only one sharing stories to this effect. Social media has been flooded with historical and ongoing accounts of struggle and persecution this weekend as people try to relay the real-world effects of this move.

The comparisons between the current plight of refugees and Muslims, and the past atrocities done to the Jewish people have been particularly common as Trump’s order was signed on Holocaust Memorial Day.