A collective of three thousand Black gay and queer men gathered on a virtual call on July 25 to rally support for Vice President Kamala Harris in her quest to become the 47th President of the United States.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who saw the post about the call on Instagram and asked if he could join to speak on his wife’s behalf, popped in to acknowledge our community while raising awareness and money for his wife.
“As it related to this wonderful, beautiful community of Black gay men, she has always been beside you, with you, has your back, and will always have your back, just like she’s going to have everyone else’s back,” Emhoff said on the call.
Earlier this week, after separate calls that included Black women and men respectively, members of the LGBTQ+ community rang the alarm that it was time for Black gay and queer men to get involved. The three-hour call, hosted by Civil rights lawyer Alphonso David, journalist, professor, and community organizer Emil Wilbekin, and Rashad Robinson, civil rights organizer, included Black gay and queer men and allies. We tuned in for education, resources, and a call to action on the best way to secure a victory for Harris in her historic quest for the White House.
Support for Harris has mounted since President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek a second term. On Sunday, July 21, 2024, the vice president went from running mate to top of the ticket and the president’s endorsement in a matter of hours.
Since that announcement, the Harris for President campaign has raked in more than $125 million and counting. Energy for the campaign came in from voters of all creeds and colors, including the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, the call throughout the evening showcased a who’s who of Black LGBTQ+ community members. Don Lemon, actor Jeremy Pope, political commentator Richard Fowler, civil rights activist David J. Johns, actor and activist Miss Lawrence, CNN commentator and author Keith Boykin, political pollster Terrance Woodbury, actor Nic Ashe, Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, author of “Kamala, The Motherland, Me”, and TV personality Kalen Allen all made appearances.
While Harris’ likely opponent wasn’t mentioned by name on the call, there were plenty of references to the threat to equality posed by Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for President.
