Let me start by saying I like Chappell Roan. I like her music. I like that she is an out-and-proud lesbian and not afraid to say it. I also realize that her meteoric rise to stardom has been hard on her. It would be hard on anybody.
With that out of the way, I would also like to say that this election is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most important elections of our day. With the threat of Project 2025 on the horizon, the risk of the Supreme Court continuing to undo decades of progress, and trans rights — like their right to simply exist, much less everything else — being questioned in several states, it really cannot be understated how important it is that we can get someone in the White House who, at a minimum, would actively work to prevent things from getting worse in the areas I listed and then some.
If you’ve been paying attention to celebrity news recently, you may already know how these two statements are connected. In case you don’t, in a recent interview with The Guardian, Roan was quoted as saying, “I have so many issues with our government in every way. There is so many things I would want to change. So, I don’t feel pressured to endorse anybody.”
This was then followed up by a statement dreaded by those active in politics: ” There are problems on both sides.” She concluded her message by saying, “I encourage you to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote…”
While I can agree that people should certainly think critically about the election and utilize their votes, I do take issue with the bothsides-ism presented in what she said. Of course there are problems with both sides! There’s plenty I don’t like about the Democrats either, but as the saying goes, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”
In a two-party political system, it’s simply a reality that we must pick the greater good, or lesser evil, for those of us who are more pessimistic/realistically minded, of our two options, and the choice seems abundantly clear. On one side, there is a party that wants to strip the rights away of anyone who’s not a straight, white man, has admitted to lying about immigrants to stir up a media storm, and would be perfectly happy to throw women in prison for seeking healthcare; and on the other side is a party that simply would not do those things. The fact that that statement isn’t even an exaggeration or gross oversimplification should say enough about why “both sides bad” rhetoric is not only unhelpful but can be actively harmful.
Many in Gen-Z — speaking as a Gen-Zer myself — feel hopeless, disenfranchised, like they don’t have a voice in a world that is hurtling towards certain destruction and, as much as I may not want to admit it, celebrities hold big sway in public opinion. That’s why a mega star like Taylor Swift endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris was such a big deal. She has millions of fans that may not have been feeling very strongly about the election and could be energized to take action with a single social media post.
Though Chappell Roan isn’t as big as Taylor Swift, she certainly has a dedicated fan base, most of which are young, queer folk that could see the most negative impact of this election going the wrong way. Many in the queer community might feel an even greater sense of hopelessness by someone as prominent as Roan essentially throwing her hands up and telling people that it’s bad all around.
Of course, this is made especially frustrating when Roan has been a very vocal advocate for those most in need, such as speaking out for and donating to Palestine. Admittedly, mainstream Democrats have not been much better than Republicans on that issue. Roan also donates to LGBTQ+ charities and makes an effort to highlight fellow queer and drag performers. She outright stated that trans rights are a major issue for her in the election.
So I ask why not support the party that is explicitly for trans rights, for women’s rights, for minority rights, doesn’t hate immigrants, and does have members that are pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza? Because you’re certainly not going to see any of that in the Republican party.
I’ll conclude by echoing the part of Roan’s statement I do agree with while adding my own addendum, “Use your critical thinking skills, use your vote,” because if you don’t, we’re all in serious trouble.
