I’ll admit it, when I started paying attention to Chappell Roan a few months ago, she pinged my radar. I thought she came across – in interviews and public statements – like an ignorant, navel-gazing brat. Looks like my gut reaction to her was pretty accurate, because she’s shown her whole ass this week. I think her recent Rolling Stone interview got the ball rolling, and I’m honestly shocked that some of her comments did not get wider play, especially the part where she suggested that President Biden would come after her and her Republican family. Then the Guardian published an interview with Roan over the weekend, and her statements like “There’s problems on both sides” have been going viral for days.
Then, on Tuesday night, Chappell made a TikTok in which she talked in circles about political endorsements and people needing to do their own research. She did say she wasn’t voting for Donald Trump, but she made a point of refusing to say that she planned to vote for Kamala Harris, nor did she endorse Harris or anyone else. Her word salad was, to me, Aaron Rodgers-esque and I wrote, half-jokingly, that she sounded like a typical Jill Stein voter. Because Chappell and her music have gotten so much attention this year, her TikTok and this whole issue have really exploded on social media and she’s gotten a lot of (well-deserved) criticism. So, Roan made another TikTok. In this one, she does say that she’s voting for Kamala Harris, all while mispronouncing “Kamala.” She also says outright that she cannot stand by the “completely transphobic views” of the LEFT. What are we doing here?
Oh my god she’s at it again pic.twitter.com/1tSIDNMf3C
— Stephen (@dcsteve5) September 25, 2024
You can tell that she thinks she’s making some bold, iconoclastic point when she says that a political endorsement doesn’t mean that a person will actually vote the way they’ve endorsed. LMAO. News at seven, your vote is private! *Morally superior voice* Did you know that you can say something publicly and not follow through privately? BOTH SIDES!!
How is this DO YOUR RESEARCH person the same one spreading misinformation about the Democratic position on trans rights? Not to mention, Chappell Roan refused to do her research on how to pronounce “Kamala.” But I digress. If you are a young queer woman and you are incapable of voting for the broad interests of all women and all LGBTQ people, then you are the one who needs to educate yourself.
Taylor Swift had more to lose with her endorsement than Chappell Roan.
She endorsed because she knew what was at stake. Not endorsing isn’t a flex.
— D (@dilemmv) September 25, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- ELMONT, NEW YORK, USA – SEPTEMBER 11: Chappell Roan wearing Y/Project arrives at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards held at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York, United States.,Image: 907000221, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Chappell Roan, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Chappell Roan performs at Manchester Academy, Manchester, England, 13th September 2024.,Image: 907421006, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Editorial Use Only, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mike Gray / Avalon
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- Chappell Roan performs at Manchester Academy, Manchester, England, 13th September 2024.,Image: 907421179, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Editorial Use Only, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mike Gray / Avalon
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- Chappell Roan performs during The Midwest Princess Tour at Revolution Live. Featuring: Chappell Roan Where: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States When: 26 Oct 2023 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
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- 2024 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet Featuring: Chappell Roan Where: New York, New York, United States When: 11 Sep 2024 Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com
Main thought: Thank goodness she is not voting for Trump!
Kamala (,la) Harris is way too close to even in the polls. In my bubble most of the Democrats are really happy and highly motivated. However, all of us are looking at the polls and we all are nervous about how close it is, we don’t like the Electoral College, and we don’t trust the Republicans after Arizona, Georgia, Nebraska, etc.
I really want to focus more attention on what’s wrong with MAGA and less on perfect support—I understand that not everyone is happy about a 2-party system and I don’t want to drive voters away from supporting democracy.
It’s not easy to ignore the polls but we all have to train ourselves to do it. Follow Simon Rosenberg and Tom Bonier on Twitter (or X, whatever). They make sense of the polls and explain why some should be ignored. They were correct in 2022 that there would be no red wave and believe we’re in good shape again.
Btw, they also do YouTube videos. I got through 2022 because of them. Very reassuring.
Yes, I agree with this advice. Too much of the polling is by corporate media and their desire for a horserace. They want us to give up and they are trying to disenfranchise and discourage us.
And if you are able to volunteer do so.
Thanks, I need to do that. I already follow some people on Twitter that I like and find reassuring or at least who pep me up. But I hadn’t heard of these two.
What has made it easier for me to ignore the incessant reporting of polling results in the media has been realizing that most reporting of polling results doesn’t also report details about their samples — and how closely those samples reflect the populations that the polls purport to represent. When it comes to a national election, in a diverse country, with factors like the Electoral College and active efforts to interfere with voting rights, getting a sample that reflects our diversity and controls for systemic variables that reflect factors beyond the popular vote is a complex task. Beyond that, there are unknowns that can impact the ability of the poll results to project actual future behavior. As in: the influences of factors such as weather, power outages, transportation problems, mail delivery issues, something like a last minute James Comey “surprise”, and the like, that can impede and impact actual voting.
In any event, whatever polls report, it’s important to ensure that people register to vote —so that we CAN vote, despite any impediments in that process. I’ll probably be voting early, and I’ll be wearing my pearls —and carrying my Mom’s AKA pin — when I do.
Also, add Chris Bouzy and Palmer Report on Twitter (never, ever X) to the pundits who consistently put my mind at ease when it comes to polling. But as it bears repeating — polls don’t vote, people do. Let’s put up numbers too big for them to attempt to fudge!
She is very very immature and needs to grow up and until then she should just keep quiet. She isn’t all that and a bag of chips that she thinks she is.
Yup. Everything I’ve heard / read from her so far would be a lot easier to take from an enthusiastic younger teen without a massive platform.
To be fair though, I’m very much an Old — and can’t relate to putting evolving immature thoughts out there in the world forever. I hope that she continues to educate herself between now and Election Day, and maybe puts some of those thoughts out there too.
She needs media training and a PR team stat. not ready for primetime this one. She was nobody and blew up really big and is woefully underprepared for her fame and clearly thinks she can handle her own image/PR. No girl.
She’s exhausting and idealistic in a way that shows her youth/immaturity. And honestly, I can only blame her lack of education prob stemming from the Bible Belt. A queer artist is political whether they intend it or not – so at least have something to say. But also, the gen z of it means she thinks honesty is saying every single thing she thinks. Also: there will never be a politician on all the right sides, sadly.
Exactly. What a child. I’ve seen 13 year olds with more self awareness and conviction, and knowledge of politics and current events. Some people just need to stay off social media. I am so much less interested in her music now.
Spanish is my first language. Spanish has only one way to pronounce vowels and consonants so there is no tomato tomato way of pronouncing words like there is in English. I believe Kamala Harris should clarify in one of her speeches how her name should be pronounced so we don’t have to hear bigoted racist MAGATs (sorry for the redundancy) mispronounce her name ON PURPOSE to make fun of her name. I remember a long time ago when Liza MInelli had to explain in one of her shows how her name was supposed to be pronounced. It is so disrespectful to mispronounce the name of our future first woman president of the United States.
No, Kamala doesn’t need to do that. She’s introduced herself enough already, been introduced, and there are even a line of shirts that say, “,la” to get the point across.
Grown-ass adults mispronouncing her name at this point are doing so intentionally.
Yes! White ppl can pronounce every character from Game of Thrones. Not saying Kamala correctly is a choice.
At the Democratic national convention, her nieces did an entire thing about how to pronounce her name. There is no excuse for anyone to not understand it at this point.
It is obvious she didn’t watch anything about the election. Every reporter on TV is talking about Kamala, she even introduced herself to Trump during debate and made sure Trump heard her name.
Kamala Harris already did that. And her name keeps being said over and over and over again. Not just by her. It’s not hard to find. That’s how I learned how to pronounce her name correctly. Just watch the DNC, or the debate, or any president ad, or…
I agree with everyone saying it’s not Harris’ job to do that, but also:
she DID do that:
– Her nieces & Kerry Washington had an adorable skit at the DNC on how to pronounce it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqereirU0-w);
– It’s the first question she answers in her Wired interview when she answers the internet’s most common Google searches about her (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9-cjwpthz4)
– and she says her name correctly every time she introduces herself.
When people mispronounce her name it is a choice they are making.
For Chappell Roan, who knows the importance of using the correct terms for a person, including their name and pronouns, to mispronounce Kamala Harris’ name in the same breath that Roan is slamming the left for not being supportive enough of trans rights, not only reads like a choice but a MAGA dog whistle, in my opinion.
But English is CR’s first language and she got it wrong. Kamala Harris has been on the scene for a long time now. She’s Veep, she was a Senator and ran for POTUS, and now she’s the Dem nominee. It’s not hard to pronounce her name correctly because there are people on the news and elsewhere doing it every day. At this point there is no excuse for CR not knowing how to do it.
I don’t live in America so I rarely see anything about the US election on TV, but I googled and watched a YouTube video to learn how to pronounce Kamala, even though the chance of me ever being in a situation where Kamala’s name comes up in conversation is very small.
If I was a household name celeb with a history of sparking controversy making a video for my squillions of followers, I’d take the spend 30 seconds on google first.
she has clarified the pronunciation of her name. her grand-nieces also did a formal presentation of how to pronounce the name Kamala ( “comma” “la”) at the DNC convention and video from that was widely shared
I think the mispronunciation is an indicator of where a person gets their information. I’m sorry but it isn’t mainstream or leftist platforms that are deliberately, consistently pronouncing her name incorrectly.
I tried to watch her full rant on the clock app but couldn’t get through it. She is so bratty and angry. Yes, she is a woman in, and we are constantly under attack, but some of us women have it better than others. And those of us who DO have it better, need to understand that we have to step into that role and FIGHT for a better life for those around us.
She is so fucking immature a privileged. How about I pronounce her fake name wrong? Bet she wouldn’t like that shit. President Biden has done more for the people of this country than any president of mine or her generation. The only person who is going after anyone in retaliation is her maga family and friend’s cult leader and his puppet VP.
OMG! I cannot stand this girl.
Seriously, WTF is she talking about the transphobic policies of the left??? Does anyone know?
I’d like to consider myself relatively well informed about political events, and everything I know about the Democratic Party is that they champion rights for that community.
Shame on her for spreading disinformation to a vulnerable community! Her uninformed rants will only harm the trans community. It’s sad that she calls herself an advocate, but then misinforms her audience and guides them to hurt the community she’s supposed to champion. As a white cis woman, she passes and won’t be harmed like POC or some members of the trans community. If she wasn’t so privileged, maybe she’d better understand the difference between the two parties. The LGBTQ+ community would be seriously harmed and endangered by another Trump presidency.
Same. I was appalled at how immature she sounded too. I think she needs to just. stop. talking.
Right? I mean, the left has Tampon Tim and the right…gave him the name as if he was doing something wrong by recognizing that transgender boys menstruate.
Aargh! I wasted time learning how to pronounce this idiot’s name correctly? That does it! From now on it’s Shaypelle Rowun!
If I’m challenged on it, I’ll just say I heard there were “very fine people on both sides” in Charlottesville, where someone was killed.
she chose to become a mega star queer icon with a huge platform, in an election year, in a country where one of the two main political parties runs on taking away rights from and criminalizing the queer population and the other runs on protecting and expanding their rights, and she was refusing to endorse or support the candidate from the party trying to protect rights and trying to both sides it instead. I don’t feel bad for her.
No one is bothering other celebrities who don’t publicly involve themselves in politics or wade into the culture war about who they’re endorsing, but she doesn’t get that pass because of the inherently political nature of the niche she’s attached her stardom to.
This is now ridiculous and oh so silly.
And in a couple of years we’re probably going to be saying “Chapppellllllle who?” because, and I mean no offense to hammers, she is as dumb as, and less relevant than, a bag of hammers.
After Trump made that speech about “nice people on both sides” about nazis and anti-nazis, this f*cking word is so triggering for me. One side is actively passing legislation against trans people, women, children. If your view is that the other side isn’t working enough to stop them, that is still not “both-side” issue, especially when the other side doesn’t have enough political power to stop it. Racists, fascists, misogynists are voting and lobbying in every election, that is how they are passing their agenda. You don’t even go to talk to the politicians to communicate them what you want them to do. I am also gonna say Chappell isn’t the representative of young people. A lot of them understand what is in stake in this election, especially when it comes to reproductive health.
A lot don’t, though. Some of my sons’ friends are old enough to vote for the first time this election cycle. Many are LGBTQIA+ and have said they don’t like either candidate and may just vote 3rd party. It’s infuriating and I don’t understand how they can be so ill-informed.
I read that voter registration increased among young people and Kamala is favored highly especially among young women. I know there are people like Chappell, but it is nothing new. Is there even 3rd party that speaks to them?
@sevenblue, that’s the thing. There doesn’t seem to be – they’re just kind of shrugging their shoulders. I don’t get it. I think a big chunk of it is that they’re all pretty privileged and we live in a very accepting area- they don’t see that there will be any consequences for them because they’ve always been insulated from consequences before, and they’re too young to remember a time when LGBTQIA+ people didn’t have legal protections and were, themselves illegal. I’ve tried to say a few things, but I don’t know that it’s resonated. I’m glad to hear that you’re seeing energy from younger people. FWIW, I wonder if it’s a high school thing- my college-age niece is seeing huge excitement. My sons are super engaged and we talk about the issues a lot at dinner, but they’re too young to vote.
Which 3rd party candidate though? Who else is running that they would vote for? This is just throwing away your vote.
I have made a point the last few years of talking to my kids’ friends about voting when I see them. I get a lot of pushback about how the two-party system sucks and both parties do bad things, etc. I always (grit my teeth and) agree with them, then explain that if they want to fix what’s wrong with the system, there’s only own party that will give them that opportunity. We also talk about how purity tests and demanding perfection are (somewhat) fine when both sides are sane adults, but right now is the time to get really, really practical and vote blue for everything.
It’s exhausting, as is Chappell Roan.
“I don’t understand how they can be so ill-informed.” It’s social media. The problem is social media. These platforms are how way too many people get their information. There’s lots of great stuff, but people clearly can’t discern between what’s real and what’s mis and disinformation. My son is in his early 20s and he’s bombarded by conflicting information from various platforms. I’m glad he’s taking the time to try to sort through it but I’ve had to catch him on some things that just aren’t based in actual reality. I cannot deal with it anymore.
@orangeowl you’re so right. Social media will be our downfall. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chappell Roan gets lots of her info from social media as well.
She always had the option of keeping her mouth shut. Always. I am almost amused that she’s decided her endorsement has the significant impact.
Totally unrelated: 10yo daughter calls her the bad karaoke version of Kate Bush, which to me, is hysterical.
I still haven’t heard her sing (not doing my research I guess) but I saw her referred to as trying to be Kate Bush recently and can’t un-see it since! Your daughter is spot on.
First and foremost, you cannot wrap yourself in the identity of a marginalized group and both sides when one side is literally trying to harm that group and one is trying to protect their rights.
The idea that some Ds are transphobic is probably accurate but that’s the whole point of having a national party that will protect their rights at the federal level, which is the exact opposite of homegirl’s initial “local” word salad. When you have that, even if you have local level Ds who probably reflect their bigoted constituents to some degree (that’s politics, baby!), the federal protections matter. But more importantly if you live in a state run by right wing extremists, those federal level protections are everything. This happening on the heels of an innocent man being executed in her home state is pretty poetic too. You have a D governor (unlikely in Missouri), you have clemency. You have D appointed SCOTUS justices instead of Trump’s hateful 3, you have a stay of execution. Learn what voting gets you, ffs!
The stuff about Biden coming after her family is – I’m sorry – hilarious. Babe, if you care about protesting and performative exhibits of protest poetry, good luck with THAT under a Trump admin. You can think that the US support of Israel is wrong but know this: it will be worse under Trump and the ability to push back on it will be much less. And much more dangerous. This is a man who would love to do his own little Kent State. I’d also like to point out when the government is coming after your own rights, the actual coverage of the Palestinian plight will plummet. It’s covered now, along with protesters, because people aren’t protesting for their own rights. It will fall by the wayside if a Trump admin comes to power and people are protesting for their own shit.
In short, grow up and go to school for a basic civics education and stop being such a self important brat.
Exactly. You can’t choose to participate in drag culture then drag the side that has done more to protect the same culture you are participating in.
I’m already fatigued of this girl. Ignorant, self important…just like every maga rat.
I’m trying really hard to be understanding but this…. Is not helping her clarify AT ALL. She is coming across like a petulant brat ranting about unspecific things. The mispronunciation of Kamala’s name – especially for someone with a stage name that is frequently mispronounced, and at this point Kamala herself has introduced herself on camera SO MANY TIMES that mispronouncing her name is willfully ignorant. Which is how Chappell is coming across.
So angry, but no solutions. If Trump is elected, this insisting on a perfect Democratic nominee is meaningless. We will end up with chaos in the White House and severe consequences for ESPECIALLY marginalized people.
I don’t love this sanctimonious preaching from her because people are pushing back on her rants.
She needs someone handling PR for her or she’s going to fall from her fame really quickly.
Its a bummer that so many of her generation truly get what is happening in our country and have chosen action, using their voices (i just mean citizens, not celebrities)- and she’s basking in her white woman privilege of not worrying about people who don’t look like you- and also is young, immature, not fully formed, But to put out an image as a queer “icon” and be a d**bass link this just says- i’m clever about music, but i am not smart.
I recently had a discussion with another woman not much younger than I am (I think she’s mid thirties) and she straight up said she doesn’t fill in the ballot when it comes to issues that don’t directly affect her. I was horrified. It’s such a lazy, careless take. To say nothing of the marginalized communities who need our votes, she’s a woman with an infant daughter. Reproductive rights, public education, the libraries she loves to frequent, they are all affected when she doesn’t vote on them. When people say things like this, I’m of the opinion that they don’t have enough knowledge on the subjects, and might not be intelligent enough to decipher the language attached.
I couldn’t watch it but I just saw the subtitles about the transphobic left. Which? What? As I said yesterday, this completely baffles me. I’m only angry that she’s spreading mistruths and possibly convincing some young people to stay home rather than vote. I hope that doesn’t end up being the case. She’s done a lot of talking so I hope that there are some real people around her that can tell her ummm no the republicans’ trans policies are horrific on the local state and federal level. If that’s an issue she cares about it then there is just no both sides to that.
I read that her uncle is Darin Chappell, a republican representative from Missouri who co sponsored a bill that prohibits abortion providers from receiving public funds. Has also personally shut down Missouri bills that are pro-LGBTQ+
So, where is the energy for him?
She’s 26. She’s been eligible to vote in the last two Presidential elections. Who knows if she did or not, and who she may have voted for in 2016 and 2020. Since she’s been a legal adult for 8+ years she (and her PR team) should either try to not sound like a dumbass when making very public “non endorsements” or not address the subject.
I like her music but don’t know anything about her prior to this, other than her having issues with fame, which is understandable.
This whole thing, she’s come across as immature, uninformed, and impulsive. I hope she takes this opportunity to learn.
Agreed. I felt for her when I heard about her being overwhelmed by her explosion into the spotlight. Now I just wish she had been more careful in how she chose to speak out, or maybe had just not spoken out at all at such a critical time for our country and democracy.
It seems like Chappel felt pressured to make political statements she wasn’t ready or educated enough (or properly PR trained to make) and is now unfortunately doubling down and over explaining.
Queer people who vote Republican are voting against their interests. But I also don’t think Democrats should start taking votes from the LGBTQ2S+ community for granted just because they won’t take their fundamental rights away and the other side will. Criticism is fair but both-sides arguments are dangerous.
“ I also don’t think Democrats should start taking votes from the LGBTQ2S+ community for granted just because they won’t take their fundamental rights away and the other side will.”
What? How is working to protect their rights taking them for granted?
Her uncle is a Republican politician actively anti choice and anti lgbt. She thinks she can be queer and not cross her bigot uncle and she just learned that the GOP have made being queer and being a woman and being non white political.
I feel a bit sorry for her to work this out publicly because this is the sort of stupid shjt you hear in an undergrad poli sci class and god bless them, they are so blinded by principles that they cannot appreciate the good of incremental change. But if you have this platform, this election cycle, 2024… please, say less. An undereducated, sheltered 26-year-old pop star? Nobody needed this, please put your shovel down.
Somebody find me a hot constitutional scholar to make famous.
Roan could have issued a brief statement that while she certainly has some political opinions, she’s come to realize that there’s so much more she needs to learn about the issues and is now bowing out of any further public discussion for the foreseeable future. I guess she just couldn’t help herself, though 🙄
She is a fantastic example of being a talented artist who doesn’t know when to stfu for her own good. I’ve been soured on her for a little while despite still enjoying her work. Some of it is definitely her upbringing and some of it is her age. Not an excuse but I had a very conservative upbringing and was still figuring myself out at 26. I think that’s common for many Americans. At this point however her spreading blatant misinformation because she’s too bullheaded to actually educate herself is harmful.
She better learn to say Kamala right, especially since she hates it when people mispronounce her pseudonym.
She’s an idiot.
There are some people who cannot stop with the genocide and how they hate both sides and don’t want to pick, blah blah blah, and she’s another one of them. Love how she hates the left so much but um…your options are what, now?
Her uncle is an elected GOP anti lgbt and anti choice bigot. She doesn’t give two shits about Palestine but that was an easy cover for her wishy washy stance.
She’s been donating her autograph sales to Palestine all year, and turned down an invitation to perform at the White House because they do not support “ freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.”
Her dedication to Palestine is genuine.
She’s from one of the very most ignorant, low information & reactionary parts of America, the privileged white girl product of a tribe whose god is Fox News. She’s got a long road ahead of her to really extricate herself from that mind set and educate herself about “like, POLICY!” She has the chance now to do the work to use her massive platform for actual good. Let’s see if she takes it and has the sense to educate herself with the mic off. Because underneath all her destructively juvenile blather, what I saw was her *fear*. She hasn’t really earned another chance, but she’s probably going to stick around so best she use this as an opportunity to learn something. I hope she gets her shit together.
Grow the fuck up, Chappell Roan.
She comes across as if she’s just learned that unicorns aren’t real and she’s mad about it.
What unhinged TikToker convinced her that Dems are actively transphobic as a party? I’m sure there are individual Dems who are, but most are not. The party and its policies are not. At all. They want to protect Trans people, and women, and kids who are under threat of gun violence, and gay marriage, and democracy. The other side doesn’t. It’s that simple.
Also, not pronouncing Kamala Harris’ name correctly is incredibly disrespectful. She’s been Veep for almost four years and the nominee for months now. It would take CR ten seconds to figure this out if she so chose. Ugh.
Say it with your whole chest or STFU.
Her comments have been so disappointing. Yes, there are TERFs and other transphobic individuals within the democratic party, but the answer to that isn’t to suck up to republicans and Both Sides these issues. I hope she eventually grows and cringes when she looks back on the way she handled this situation. I don’t even fault her for still loving her republican family because that’s complicated for people, it’s the rest of what she said that’s a problem.
i don’t believe she’s voting for kamala at all. she may not be a trumper, but she seems like one of those ignorant ‘both sides have a problem’ people who are not nearly as smart as they think they are.
she made the mistake of running her mouth in that interview, and then she scrambled to ‘im voting for kamala’, ’cause it’s the *right* thing to say and she and her team want to contain this before it potentially gets her cancelled just as her career is taking off.
I am parenting two queer children (that I know of! Two are undeclared), and we have a LOT of trans people in our lives. Chappel clearly shares two sentiments with us:
1. a couple of months ago Biden issued a crappy statement about the trans community that he had to walk back, it really really hurt. and
2. The trans people in my life (and in my Substack notes group chat features) were devastated and angry that trans issues weren’t mentioned in the DNC.
Those are two instances she could have pointed to that could have brought the changes we’ve wanted. It was a moment where she could have flexed for us. It’s disappointing that she didn’t- this mess is UGH and doesn’t do anything for us.
She has been clear and consistent in her messaging, her concerts, we know she is on our side. We assumed she was voting for Kamala. We know she cares about Palestine too and wants to make a point, but she isn’t making that point either. “I would have no problem endorsing a candidate committed to stopping arms sales to Netanyahu and makes their party add trans issues to their platform.” Fine, SAY THAT. (She hasn’t said that. Three times she has used her profile to make mess instead of change). I get that her celebrity is new and scary and wild and weird but she has a publicist. Work it out, girl.