2015 Emmy Awards: Why Were Jeffrey Tambor, Julia Louis-Dreyfus And More Wearing Green Ribbons During The Show?

While television shows, and the people who write, direct and star in them, were the main focus of the 2015 Emmy Awards held Sunday night in Los Angeles, many celebrities chose to shift the focus from themselves to a more noble cause. Stars like Jill Soloway and Jeffrey Tambor chose to discuss TransEquality.Org during their acceptance speeches, while others went a different route. Viewers may have noticed several actors and actresses attending the 67^th Annual Awards sporting green ribbons on their chests – but what exactly was the message behind them?

According to TVGuide, the ribbons were an effort to spread awareness about environmental issues. They were meant to show support for the Environmental Protection Agency. The site reports that each of the ribbons was emblazoned with this message, “Demand Climate Action,” on one of the tails. Tambor, 71, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Louis C.K. and more were seen wearing the ribbons.

As we previously reported, TransEquality.Org was mentioned several times throughout the 2015 Emmys. Soloway, 49, first mentioned the organization when she took the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. She challenged those watching to visit the site and do their part to help pass the trans equality bill, which could potentially help to combat the injustices faced by members of the transgender community. Later in the show, while accepting the award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Tambor mentioned the organization once again, posing a similar challenge to viewers. As such the site was down for much of the award show and, at the time this article was written, appeared to still be encountering issues.

A similar effort was made during the 66^th Annual Emmy Awards, held in 2014. Numerous stars arrived at the show wearing green ribbons in support of the Green Ribbon Campaign, which promotes an open dialog about mental health issues.