LGBTQ+ rights groups are praising Vice President Kamala Harris’ “historic” presidential campaign and what it means for the queer community.
Democrats and civil rights groups celebrated Harris’ campaign launch over the weekend after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race, highlighting her unparalleled record on LGBTQ+ issues, with several groups since voicing their support for the candidate who will become the first female president of the United States and the most queer-friendly president in U.S. history.
The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute told The Advocate that it is “excited that Vice President Harris could potentially become the first Black woman in our nation’s history to be a major party presidential nominee,” and also highlighted the significance of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg being considered as a running mate.
“Vice President Harris is a passionate advocate for equality and the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President and CEO. “The Biden/Harris Administration’s record-breaking LGBTQ+ inclusion will continue under Harris’ leadership, [Buttigieg] “Her potential running mate, the Harris-Buttigieg pairing, would be monumental. It would be a landmark moment in a decades-long effort to make all levels of government more inclusive and could be the most historic presidential pairing in our nation’s history.”
Harris’ campaign also appears to be appealing to Gen Z, the largest demographic in the LGBTQ+ community. Dylan Bulkeley Crane, founder of Drag PAC, noted that Biden’s decision to withdraw energized young voters. The political action committee aims to encourage Gen Z to vote and is spearheaded by well-known drag artists such as Alaska, Ben De La Creme, Peppermint, Jinkx Monsoon, Monet X Change and William.
“We’re excited to see Gen Z reignited with enthusiasm to vote in the upcoming election. We know young people have the power to change things for the better,” Bulkeley Crane told The Advocate. “The more people who support LGBTQ people and fight for their freedom in office, the better the results will be. We hope the momentum created by recent events will lead to the election of politicians who will champion LGBTQ issues.”
Several organizations have also endorsed Harris, including the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, the oldest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the U.S. President Kiera Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that the group’s decision is “not just historic, it’s a bold statement about what this election means for the future of LGBTQ+ people in America — and a call to action.”
“Everything is at stake: the equity, the health, the safety of our community, the hard-earned gains we’ve made and the work that still needs to be done,” Johnson said. “Our community is under attack on so many fronts, from access to transgender-affirming care to immigration, bodily autonomy, schools, libraries and the many issues that intersect with our multiple identities.”
“We are witnessing an almost unprecedented coming together of people across our nation – young voters, people with a renewed sense of enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process, and countless people feeling hopeful – and this energy crosses all political and cultural boundaries,” she continued.
The Human Rights Campaign also said it has “endorsed the tough, formidable and experienced Vice President Kamala Harris for president.” In a statement, Human Rights Campaign Chair Kelly Robinson said Harris has “been a pioneer and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality for decades, from leading the fight against hate crimes in San Francisco and working to end the so-called gay and transgender ‘panic defense’ in California, to being an early supporter of marriage equality.”
“Now that Donald Trump has been convicted, he has already set out to destroy our democracy and divide our country in order to gain power,” Kelly said. “Vice President Kamala Harris is a true champion of unity and accountability, and she will fight for a nation where no one is above the law and where ‘justice for all’ means anything.”
