Billy Porter
Billy Porter (Photo: Shutterstock)

Actor and singer Billy Porter was among the celebrity guests at the Democratic National Convention this week. A longstanding Democratic supporter, Porter was also among the guests that the White House hosted at a special event to mark Juneteenth a couple of months ago.

Photos of Porter at the garden party, wearing a glittery, kaftan, and kissing President Joe Biden’s hand, circulated online.

Although most people were happy to see the White House marking Juneteenth, some people expressed disappointment to see Porter kissing Biden’s hand. Some suggested it looked bad to see a Black man bowing to kiss the hand of a White man in power on such an auspicious date.

Porter, who is slated to soon play the role of James Baldwin in a forthcoming biopic, addressed those comments in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Asked about the backlash to his hand-kissing, he said, “I’m glad that you asked me that question because I don’t respond to internet mess. My motto is I do not now, nor will I ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media.

“What those social media trolls didn’t know was that I had been invited to the White House that morning to sit on the dais and talk about solutions. What they don’t know and what they didn’t see in the photos that they didn’t run was that I kissed the vice president’s hand too. I kissed the second gentleman’s hand as well.

“What they’re not talking about and what makes whatever that was idiotic is the drawing that you put me up against is of a slave thanking the man that freed them. I will kiss that man’s hand to the grave and whatever noise that was going on over there is ridiculous.

“Daddy ain’t ever going to be silent”

“I’m 55 years old in September, and I’ve been Black and gay all my life and what I do know is that as a queer man in this world, I’m not supposed to be on the front row with the president and the first lady,” Porter continued. “I’m supposed to be hiding in a closet somewhere silent. That’s what that moment was about. And please understand, daddy ain’t ever going to be silent. And I’m up there in a sparkly kaftan dress, too. How dare I, right? The audacity that I have to take up space in this world. That’s what I think about that.”

The bulk of Porter’s interview was about his appearance at the DNC and his excitement at the Harris-Walz campaign. However, he warned people not to be complacent and to stay active.

“It’s joyous again, it’s hopeful again, it’s almost magical, and I don’t want to fall into the trap. We can’t fall into the trap of expecting a savior or a hero in anyone. One, the electorate must stay engaged. Yes, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will lead, but we have to continue to be the wind at their backs … They can’t do it if we don’t vote down the ballot so that we can get all three branches of government so we can get legislation through.”

“Mind your damn business”

Porter performed on Tuesday at Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic National Convention luncheon in Chicago. He also attended part of the main DNC event at the United Center, although he did not give a speech.

Whilst there, CBS interviewed Porter. He was asked about Republicans using Democratic support for trans rights as a way to knock Harris and Walz.

Porter called such attacks “exhausting” and “gross”, and said it was time to stop giving such attacks the “oxygen” of publicity.

“If you don’t like trans people, mind your damn business,” suggested Porter. “Somebody finally said it, right? We’re in America. We can be different. We can agree to disagree. That’s what makes democracy work. Mind your business.”

Watch below.

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