LGBTQ+ advocates, HBCU students and supporters came together virtually Thursday night to raise funds in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The Human Rights Campaign, along with Equality California, the National LGBTQ Task Force and other major advocacy groups, organized the “Kamala Harris Calls for LGBTQ+ Unity” virtual rally, which showcased the broad coalition that supports Harris.
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The evening began with an introduction from HRC President Kelly Robinson, who set the tone for the evening.
“Tonight is a night to show the strength of our community and our unwavering support for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Robinson said. “We are here to unite, to organize, to elect the first woman, the first Black woman, the first Southeast Asian woman to this country’s highest office.”
According to HRC, the fundraiser was an undeniable success, with more than 20,000 participants joining across multiple platforms and raising more than $300,000 in two and a half hours. More than 1,500 people signed up as volunteers.
“The outpouring of grassroots support from our community is historic and reflects the early and aggressive mobilization of our coalition this morning to defeat Donald Trump,” Sam Aleman, the Harris campaign’s LGBTQ+ national engagement director, told The Advocate in a statement. “Team Harris is made stronger by the unmatched organizing spirit of LGBTQ+ activists.”
The evening’s proceedings also featured testimony from prominent advocates.CNN anchor Don Lemon set the tone by recalling the frenetic energy of the campaign rally: “I believe she can win. I know she can win,” Lemon said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining momentum until Election Day.
Lemon also shared a personal anecdote about a conversation he had with political strategist James Carville: “I was talking to James Carville last night, and he’s the great James Carville from my hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he said, ‘This is so exciting. This is amazing. I believe she can win. I know she can win. But I want to see this excitement continue all the way through October and November and all the way to Election Day,'” Lemon recalled.
Actress Sophia Bush, along with her boyfriend, former soccer player Ashlyn Harris from Paris, highlighted Harris’ global significance: “We stand on the shoulders of giants. Let us honour their legacy by fighting for our future,” she said.
“We need to come together now more than ever,” said actor and activist Wilson Cruz, who had just returned from Harris’ home at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. “Kamala Harris is committed to our community in ways that go beyond words. She lives and breathes this fight every day. I’ve seen it up close.”
Rufus Giffords, a former U.S. ambassador and Harris campaign finance chairman, joined the chorus, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming election: “This is a fight for our future, and we need every single one of you to join us in this fight,” he said.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson brought humor and honesty to this call.
“I’m not a weirdo, so of course I support her. And I want to acknowledge that the text messages that you’re getting say, ‘Are you definitely going to vote for Kamala Harris in the next election? Please hit the pause button and stop,’ that was from me. That was from me. I’m sorry. I’ll probably continue to send them, but I want you to know that that was actually from me,” Ferguson joked, expressing his unwavering support for Harris.
“Kamala Harris is the candidate for equal rights,” “Wonder Woman” actress Lynda Carter said. “Stand up and feel this opportunity in your heart.”
The event also featured heartfelt remarks from a range of community leaders. Jaye Jones, a pioneering Howard University student and the first transgender woman to serve as student government president at an HBCU, embodied the event’s spirit of resilience and progress. “We are ecstatic to move people forward,” she declared, highlighting the historic significance of Harris’ candidacy. “We will accept cuts for Kamala Harris, because she has done so many times for us.”
Harris, a Howard University graduate, will be the first U.S. president to attend a historically black college or university.
In a moving moment, Sky Green, a 15-year-old from Arizona, voiced his support for Harris, even though he is not yet eligible to vote. “I’m rooting for Kamala Harris to win because I know that under her administration, my rights and the rights of over 20 million of my LGBTQ siblings will not be threatened,” Green said. Their words highlighted the importance of the upcoming election and ensuring a safe and inclusive future for all.
Robinson celebrated the evening’s accomplishments, noting the outpouring of support and the critical role of grassroots activism.
“Last night was more than just an event, it was a declaration,” Robinson told The Advocate in a statement. “When tens of thousands of people come together, raising not just funds but hope, and volunteering with passionate hearts, we send an unmistakable message to those who seek to divide us: We are united behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Our unity is our strength. It includes a vision of a nation that values love over hate and hope over fear in the fight for equality and the pursuit of justice.”
Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston and president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, emphasized the importance of representation.
“LGBTQ+ Victory is about representation, and a record number of LGBTQ+ elected officials, candidates, community members and organizations came together to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ new presidential campaign,” Parker said in a statement. “While Victory Fund supports LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates that are inclusive of them, there’s no denying that a record number of elected officials and supporters were excited to share their candidacy with Harris during this historic moment.”
HRC National Spokesperson Brandon Wolf, a co-host of the event, celebrated the success of the event. “Last night, tens of thousands of people came together to send a message: We choose freedom. We choose equality. And we are united behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” Wolf said. “She has worked hard for our community throughout her career, and we have made it clear that we will work for her from now until Election Day. It was an honor to be in a community with so many advocates last night. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States.”
Since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, many segments of the public have mobilized to contribute to the success of her campaign, with frantic fundraising calls coming in.
Other calls took place around the same time as the HRC call, further drumming up support for Harris’ campaign, including one hosted by a white woman that drew 150,000 participants and “went viral and set a record for the largest Zoom call in history,” Lemon said. Queer celebrities also spoke about Harris on the call, hosted by Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control group Moms Demand Action.
“When it comes to voting for presidential candidates, white women have failed time and time again,” Watts said, according to Reuters.
Watts wrote On social media The call reportedly raised $2 million for the Harris campaign.
Another call out to black queer men also resonated strongly, with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff also making an appearance.
“When it comes to this incredible, beautiful community of black gay men, she has always been there for you, she has been with you, she has been on your side and she always will be on your side, just like she is on everybody else’s side,” Emhoff told the Los Angeles Times.
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota praised the event’s theme of faith and progress during the HRC conference call.
“Kamala Harris will stand with members of Congress like me, and we’ll help her win,” Craig said.
Watch Kamala Harris’ call for LGBTQ+ unity below.
Responding to Kamala Harris’ Callwww.youtube.com
