Harris campaigns on set of drag show

The Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for the presidency appeared on an LGBTQ-themed program to give an election message. A clip of Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars was released on Friday, less than a week into her official campaign. The show recorded the clip before President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 election, the Associated Press reported.

Harris appeared alongside celebrities such as former NSYNC member Lance Bass, who is openly gay. In the spot, she tells viewers that American freedoms are under attack, including, as she characterized it, the right to love whomever one chooses. Make sure your voice is heard in November, she adds. The minute-long spot ends with the group laughing and clapping to music.

Harris has been quick to champion left-leaning social causes. In March, she became the first vice president to make a public visit to an abortion facility.

Is she the first politician to appear on Drag Race? Harris may be the first presidential nominee to appear on the long-running show, but she’s hardly the first politician. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., appeared as a guest judge in 2020. The show also featured visits in 2018 and 2022 from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who also emphasized the importance of voting. Republican National Convention speaker Amber Rose, an explicit rapper known for her use of obscenities, also appeared on the show.

Dig deeper: Read Kiley Crossland’s report on how parents reacted to “drag queen story hours” at local libraries.