"You better vote": VP Harris to appear on "RuPaul’s Drag Race"

The vice president pushed a hopeful message to LGBTQ+ audiences amid Republican attacks on drag and gay marriage

By Griffin Eckstein

News Fellow

Published July 25, 2024 5:11PM (EDT)

Kamala Harris greets the crowd at the annual Pride Parade at Civic Center in San Francisco, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Kamala Harris greets the crowd at the annual Pride Parade at Civic Center in San Francisco, California, on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to appear on the season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” this Friday, urging audiences to mobilize ahead of the election in a teaser clip.

“Each day we are 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,” the presidential candidate said. 

Harris’ embrace of drag performers comes at a moment when GOP representatives push for bans on drag shows, conservative judges appear to take aim at the right to marry, and Republican candidates for office ramp up rhetoric against LGBTQ+ Americans.

Pushing a message of resilience, the vice president urged audiences to vote against the efforts to roll back their rights in the promotional clip.

“So as we fight back against these attacks, let’s all remember no one is alone. We are all in this together, and your vote is your power. So please make sure your voice is heard this November, and register to vote,” Harris said.

Judges and contestants, including "Saturday Night Live" alum Leslie Jones, are seen holding “You Better Vote” signs in the clip that includes a link to voter registration services.

Though the episode was filmed far before Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, her campaign has already put LGBTQ+ rights at the forefront of her policy goals.

“We want to ban assault weapons and they want to ban books. Can you imagine?” the vice president told educators in a speech to the American Federation of Teachers on Thursday, citing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other conservative legislators’ attempts to ban LGBTQ+ books.

 


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