Singer Chappell Roan recently confirmed her preferred presidential candidate in the November general election. In a TikTok video posted on Sept. 25, she said she’ll vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. But unlike celebs like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, she refrained from fully endorsing the Democratic nominee, despite Harris’ campaign using Roan’s song “Femininomenon” in a TikTok video.
Roan first clarified her position in a TikTok video on Sept. 24, explaining her reasoning for not giving an endorsement and emphasizing that she would not vote for former President Donald Trump.
“Actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement,” she said. “So, hearing from my mouth if you’re still wondering — no, I’m not voting for Trump, and yes, I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people, and I will stand up for what’s right and what I believe in.”
She doubled-down on her stance in a follow-up video posted the next day, saying that she’ll never fully agree with the stances of either political party.
“F**k Trump, for f*cking real, but f*ck some of the sh*t that has gone down in the Democratic party that has failed people like me and you — and more so Palestine, and more so every marginalized community in the world,” she said. “So yeah, I’m voting for f*cking Kamala, but I’m not settling for what has been offered, because that’s questionable.”
Why Is Chappell Receiving Backlash?
Her TikTok videos follow an interview with The Guardian on Sept. 20, in which Roan talked about the upcoming election and expressed distaste for both the Republican and Democratic parties.
“I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone,” she told the outlet at the time. “There’s problems on both sides [of the political spectrum]. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”
Despite saying that her main priority for this election was ensuring rights for transgender people, she quickly received blowback for the interview, both because she’s part of LGBTQ+ communities and she credits drag queens for inspiring her music and persona — two groups who’d be affected by laws and anti-drag bills being proposed by the Republican party.
This isn’t the first time that Roan was questioned for not fully embracing the Democratic Party. In June, she declined to perform at a White House LGBTQ+ event, which she attributed to the White House’s stance on Gaza. (Roan is openly pro-Palestine.) “I won’t be a monkey for Pride,” she told Rolling Stone earlier this month.
