“Midwest Princess” and rising queer popstar, Chappell Roan, stated in an interview with The Guardian that she will not be endorsing either candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
This sparked a divided conversation online about the morals of the artist and whether she wants America to become a safe haven for Palestinians and LGBTQ+ folk, and find solutions to other issues brought up by Roan’s critics who support Harris.
“She’s either a fool or a closet Republican,” commented an online critic.
Fans of Roan, however, defend her and agree with the artist’s views, appreciating that she has a “spine,” unlike her music industry colleagues.
“She’s incredibly brave to have a spine in a neo-lib[eral], dominated industry, and she’s right,” a fan commented.
Roan, who is known to be a consistent voice in raising awareness and support for Palestinian and LGBTQ+ related causes at her shows and on social media, reaffirms her stance on not endorsing Harris or Trump in a recent Tiktok video.
“Endorsing and voting are completely different,” said Roan. “…because there is no way I can stand behind some of the left’s completely transphobic and completely genocidal views.”
She later said that she will be voting for Harris in November, but will “not settle for what is being offered,” referring to both Harris and Trump. Roan encouraged young voters to vote for who they think is the “best option for what we have right now.”
Before Roan’s controversial interview, Taylor Swift had announced her endorsement of Harris in an Instagram post. Swift complimented Harris for being “steady-handed” and a “gifted leader,” amongst other accounts of approval.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift said. “…I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
Similar spouts of criticism and approval found their way to Swift, with fans defending her and non-fans criticizing her for the support.
Both Swift and Roan have made their stances clear on the presidential election, leaving their fans to make their own decision to either follow in their footsteps or not.
Encouraging fans to vote was a main focus for both artists, despite a difference in opinions.
A Harvard study recently showed that celebrities have an influence on the elections that surpasses the typical swarm of support.
In an ABC News interview with Ashley Spillane, the study’s author and civic engagement and political expert, Spillane said young voters are usually trusting their favorite celebrities over leaders and institutions. Celebrity participation in an issue typically falls under the category of “trendy” and “cool,” both of which are probable reasons for why these voters are participating as well.
Spillane told ABC News that the civic engagement enables fan communities to be collaborative, building trust, motivation and participation in the process.
According to BBC, Swift’s endorsement of Harris led her fans, “swifties,” to take the initiative to create an organization for Harris and Tim Walz, the democratic Vice Presidential candidate. Swifties have raised over $100,000 for their campaign.
Irene Kim, executive director of the Swifties for Kamala campaign, told BBC reporter Marianna Spring she saw a “spike in voter registration activity and a “huge boost on social media” following the endorsement.
More endorsements and comments of support from other celebrities have trickled in as well, including Jennifer Lawrence, Bill Nye, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and more.
For the full list of celebrities who have shown their support for either candidate, visit Forbes’s article. More information on how to register to vote as an Ohio citizen can be found here.
