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Last week's election hit America like an earthquake: No matter where you stood — politically or socially — the ground beneath your feet shook. The impact of this particular election reached another, more permanent level when many people decided to announce who they sided with — on their skin, in the form of safety-pin tattoos.
The ink is based on the growing safety-pin movement, which has many Americans wearing safety pins to show solidarity with, as one Twitter user puts it, "those who Trump hates." The household object represents, as the name suggests, safety and security. The tattoo has become so popular that some parlors are offering discounts on the design.
Sarah Knapp, a tattoo artist in Eugene, OR, will put the pin on your skin for just $40, about half the shop minimum. She told Refinery29 that the discount is an effort to make the tattoo more accessible. (The average tattoo, no matter how small, can cost over $100.)
"The discount was to inspire people that wouldn't normally get the tattoo, based on the price, to feel like they could afford it, if they wanted it. Just because I thought it was such a good idea worth spreading," Knapp says. Since the election, she's drawn the design more than 10 times, and she has 10 more safety-pin tattoos scheduled. She says she's noticed the safety-pin trend on social media and claims that it's the largest tattoo trend she's seen since becoming an artist.
As with any movement taking over the internet, there's also been some backlash. According to The Wrap, critics argue that the body art is a form of internet slacktivism, and a "lazy" way to show support. But others are seeing it as an important conversation starter.
Ahead, we've collected some of the tattooed statements of solidarity in question. So, take a peek at the slides ahead, and then decide for yourself where you stand.
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