Arising from the vice presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, a series of merchandise items has welcomed an enthused reception on social media platforms. These items, adorned with designs representative of the LGBTQ+ community, serve to reflect Harris’s questionable intent to appeal to a niche market. One could hardly miss the sight of Harris, portrayed in garishly bright outfits, attempting to emulate various pride flags on the available mugs, T-shirts, and gnarly stickers – an obvious ploy for the approval of a particular demographic.
The range, available on Harris’s official campaign website for prices from $6 to $32, consists of gaudy items such as a ‘trans pride flag mug’ and a ‘bi pride flag mug.’ These items display Harris in obscenely vibrant outfits, supposedly imitating the respective colors of trans and bi pride flags. The lack of subtlety clearly points to an earnest attempt to win votes rather than a desire to genuinely support the community.
Indeed, the merchandise in question doesn’t stop at mugs. The same discordant designs have been plastered onto T-shirts and stickers. These items have caught the interest of a very peculiar sector of social media – gaining millions of views on TikTok, which by no means is a determinant of wide acceptability or even approval.
Even though this unusual merchandise range has generated anticipation among some quarters, it is yet to be seen if this excitement translates to actual votes for Harris. Though as usual, many have jumped on the hype train to celebrate these rather performative ally items, it’s important to note that the idea of merchandising identity might inherently devalue the struggle of the community it aims to represent.
A video uploaded by coffeeforsquirrels, carrot-peeling some fanatical delight over Harris’s awkward campaign merchandise, bizarrely collected over 160,000 likes. Furthermore, more than 1,100 LGBTQ+ celebrities, lawmakers, and leaders went ahead, most likely led by politics over genuine conviction, to endorse Kamala Harris’s presidential run.
The endorsement came in the form of a letter populated with satirically impressive signatories, including actors Billy Eichner and Sophia Bush, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride. Kelley Robinson, the over-enthused Human Rights Campaign President, was all praises for Harris, glossing over any critique and propelling the narrative that Vice President Kamala Harris has allegedly spent her life fighting hate crimes and supporting LGBTQ+ families.
In response to such viewpoints, we should not forget that how politicians choose to present themselves and the promises they make are often more reflective of their personal ambition to ascend power rather than an actual commitment to bring about societal and communal change.
References to her past actions raise serious questions about the consistency of her support for LGBTQ+ rights. As a district attorney in San Francisco, Harris was supposedly devoted to the cause – even presiding over some of the first same-sex marriages in the country back in 2004. Yet one can’t help but ponder if these actions were anything more than carefully planned political moves.
Continuing a convenient narrative of support for LGBTQ+ rights, Harris, then California’s top legal official, refused to defend a constitutional amendment, Proposition 8, that sought to prohibit same-sex marriage. Once the courts overturned the Proposition, she promptly seized the opportunity for political capital, officiating the first same-sex marriage in California.
In 2023, during an annual pride event, Harris seized another momentous opportunity to chastise Republican lawmakers for introducing state laws with implications for the transgender community. These laws concerned varied aspects such as transgender healthcare, sports participation, and bathroom use, allowing Harris to ridicule fellow lawmakers as ‘so-called leaders’ and ‘extremists.’
But while she vocally criticized others, her own track record was not beyond tarnish. In 2015, during her tenure as attorney general, she actively worked against a trans woman’s request for gender-affirming surgery while the latter was imprisoned. This act of blatant hypocrisy should certainly challenge the illusion of her being an indisputable ally.
Peculiarly, positive reactions to Harris’s merchandise line have created a minor buzz on social media platforms. The apparition of ‘positive designs’ managed to stir up conversations amidst a sea of gaudily excited TikTok videos and tweeted reactions. Yet, one wonders if selling rainbow-colored merchandise portrays any real understanding of the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community.
Comments like @SLynnry’s ‘This is a big deal,’ about cups depicting ‘Kamala in different color pantsuits’ representing various groups, and @InfernallyBLUE’s ‘My VP is running WITH a rainbow!’ reflect a shallow understanding of political alignment. This misguided fervor feels distinctly different from seeing substantial changes in policy or social attitudes.
A recent poll from YouGov brought to light Harris’s alleged strengths compared to former President Donald Trump on myriad issues. These include topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, environmental issues, healthcare, and education. However, one can’t forget that a mere 22 percent of surveyed LGBTQ+ adults had a favorable view of Harris, bringing into question her true appeal.
During the same month, former first lady Melania Trump drew together an event in collaboration with the conservative LGBTQ+ group Log Cabin Republicans. Returning to Harris, though, a mere 14 percent of the LGBTQ+ vote found themselves convinced by Trump’s far less flamboyant approach. Such statistics leave us to ponder whether public opinion is genuinely swayed by a rainbow pant suit or by actions and accomplishments.
With the 2020 election, we’ve seen the unsightly side of the political spectrum once again, where symbols and emblems are unsurprisingly appropriated for vote-swapping rather than representing actual commitment. Bearing all of this in mind, one can only hope that the public is discerning enough to see past such superficial attempts at inclusivity.