Kamala Harris made a polarizing cameo on the season nine finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars as she urged viewers to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
Making history as the first sitting US vice president to appear on the popular Paramount+ reality series, the 59-year-old politician reminded Americans of the big issues at stake in the 2024 election.
“Hi everyone, I’m Kamala Harris. Every day we see our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are and to love who they love, openly and proudly,” she said.
Harris continued: “So as we fight back against these attacks, let’s remember that no one is alone. We’re all in this together, and your vote is your power. So make sure your voice is heard this November and register to vote at vote.gov.”
During the episode, which was filmed before Harris launched her own presidential campaign after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid, she sat down with judge Michelle Visage, choreographer Jamal Sims and former guest judges Lance Bass, Leslie Jones and Cheyenne Jackson.
Kamala Harris made a surprise cameo on the season 9 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and urged viewers to make their voices heard at the ballot box
Following the former prosecutor’s impassioned address, Jackson asked, “Can I get an amen?”
The clip ends with Jones turning to the camera and saying, “You better vote!”
Social media users were quick to react to her appearance, with some describing her as “embarrassing AF” while others praised her for “speaking to young people.”
“I know this is going to piss a lot of people off… and I’m here for it,” one mused.
Another wrote that they “lived for Kamala’s promotion.”
“KAMALA IS FOR GIRLS AND GAYS,” declared a third.
Others criticized her for appearing on a reality show.
“Politicians should not use reality shows to convey serious messages. It’s trivializing,” wrote one X user.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars finale, featuring Harris, will air on Friday, July 26.
Making history as the first sitting US vice president to appear on the popular Paramount+ reality show, the 59-year-old reminded Americans of the big issues at stake in the 2024 election.
“Hi everyone, I’m Kamala Harris. Every day we see our rights and freedoms under attack, including the right of everyone to be who they are and to love who they love, openly and proudly,” she said.
The episode was filmed before Harris launched her own presidential campaign after President Joe Biden dropped out of his re-election bid.
In her first campaign ad, which featured Beyoncé’s hit song Freedom playing in the background, Harris showed her support for LGBTQ+ people by featuring images of herself in a crowd waving Pride flags.
“In this election, each of us is faced with one question: what kind of country do we want to live in?” the ad asked. “There are people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate. But we chose something different.”
Later in the video, Harris called for a future where “no one is above the law.”
At that point, an image of Trump’s mugshot from his election interference case in Georgia was shown, as well as headlines from when Trump was indicted and found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York.
He went on to stress that Americans deserve the freedom “not just to survive, but to thrive” and to be assured “of being safe from gun violence” and making their own decisions about their bodies.
Social media users were quick to react to her appearance, with some describing it as “embarrassing AF” while others praised her for “speaking to young people”.
“I know this is going to piss a lot of people off… and I’m here for it,” one mused.
A third called the cameo “embarrassing.”
“KAMALA IS FOR GIRLS AND GAYS,” declared a fourth.
He also called for a future “where no child lives in poverty” and “where everyone can afford health care.”
Harris ended the video by saying, “We believe in the promise of America and we are ready to fight for it. Because when we fight, we win.”
While the campaign’s first video was posted on social media, no political ad buys have yet been made on television featuring the vice president. However, the campaign has been advertising on digital media.
On the same day Biden dropped out of the race, the company began running digital ads promoting the president’s endorsement of Harris and lobbying her supporters to raise money for her presidential bid.
Last year, Harris criticized the record number of anti-LGBTQ state bills that were introduced in state legislatures across the United States (seen in June 2023)
During a Pride event co-sponsored by LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD in 2023, he criticized “so-called leaders” and “extremists” who were attempting to make an “abrupt, backward march” (seen in 2019).
In her first campaign ad, which featured Beyoncé’s hit song Freedom playing in the background, Harris featured LGBTQ+ people and allies waving Pride flags (San Francisco Pride pictured above in 2019).
In just over 24 hours, Harris’ campaign raised more than $100 million from more than 1.1 million donors.
Last year, Harris criticized the record number of anti-LGBTQ state bills that were introduced in state legislatures across the United States.
During a Pride event co-sponsored by LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD in 2023, he criticized “so-called leaders” and “extremists” who were trying to make an “abrupt, backward march.”
“We’re not going to allow it, not while we’re here,” he said.
Some of the laws enacted included an “anti-drag measure in Tennessee and an Arkansas law banning transition-related care for the state’s minors,” according to NBC News.
