Days after announcing her candidacy to become the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 to send an important message to the American public about registering to vote.
In a clip shared on X by the official RuPaul’s Drag Race account, Harris sits beside judge Michelle Visage, pop star Lance Bass, actor Cheyenne Jackson, Drag Race choreographer Jamal Sims, and actress Leslie Jones in the RuPaul’s Drag Race Werk Room.
“Hi everyone, it’s Kamala Harris. Each day, we’re seeing our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are, love who they love — openly and with pride,” Harris starts. “So, as we fight back against these attacks, let’s all remember, no one is alone. We’re all in this together, and your vote is your power. So please make sure your voice is heard this November and register to vote at vote.gov.” The clip ends with Jones reminding the audience, “You betta vote!”
Since Biden endorsed Harris after dropping out of the presidential race, Democratic supporters have been quick to assert that Harris has been a long supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. While she was District Attorney in San Francisco, she established LGBTQ+ hate crime units and fought to overturn Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage. Additionally, a clip of Harris is going viral on X, where she can be seen officiating the first gay wedding in California in 2013.
However, LGBTQ+ activists and leaders have also noted that Harris harmed lower-income Black and Brown people, the LGBTQ+ community and sex workers while she was District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California. In 2015, Harris denied gender-affirming care to transgender inmates, and after becoming a senator in 2017, she voted in favour of FOSTA/SESTA, a sex trafficking bill that was used to shut down resources, which protected sex workers, making it easier for them to screen clients. While running for president in 2020, Harris expressed regret for those actions.
While Harris is seen as one of the most “pro-LGBTQ+” presidential candidates the US has ever seen, her belief in crime, punishment and carcerality has negatively impacted the LGBTQ+ communities most marginalised members.