Some Women Are Wearing Blue Bracelets to Signal That They Didn't Vote for Trump

The fallout from the 2024 election is still playing out both on the news and around the country, and people are celebrating or coping in a wide variety of ways. Those who didn't want Donald Trump to be elected to a second term are trying to wrap their heads around his return to the White House, and are also taking other steps that might be a little more confusing.

For some, that involves the blue friendship bracelet movement. If you're wondering what that movement is or why so many people are taking part in it, here's what we know.

The blue friendship bracelet movement emerged following the 2024 election. The idea of wearing blue friendship bracelets first spread on TikTok and is designed to allow white women to signal to those around them that they didn't vote for Trump. The idea is to wear a subtle symbol that can suggest a person is on "the right side." Specifically, the bracelets are designed to give Black people a sense of who they can trust.

While some people have embraced the bracelets, others have pointed out that the bracelets should really be unnecessary. If the people in your life don't know what you believe in, the bracelet is arguably more of an empty gesture than anything else.

"White women on TikTok talking about wearing blue bracelets so Black women can identify them from Trumpets," one person wrote on Twitter. "Yet another meaningless movement. They’ll put work into everything BUT their own communities."

"If you need a 'blue friendship bracelet' as some kind of dog whistle to let people know you’re 'one of the good ones' — you should know that your refusal to be loud and obvious about your values is how we got here. You ain’t cute or better than anyone. You’re f--king lazy," another person added.

While some have embraced the symbolism of the bracelets, others have pointed out the various ways the gesture could feel empty.

The blue bracelet movement exists in large part because people are looking for something to do in a moment when things feel particularly hard. Blue bracelets aren't going to change the world, and if they make the person wearing them feel better, that's worth something.

The broader point, though, is that action should move beyond personal symbolism and into something more concrete. If you're upset about the results of the election, your main goal should not be to simply signal to those around you that you are, indeed upset. Instead, you should channel that energy into volunteer efforts or other work to help shape the world into the place you want it to be.

Of course, it's worth acknowledging that there are plenty of people who are celebrating the results of this election. However you might feel, though, a blue bracelet isn't going to make or break anything.