How Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff supported Black trans people
Ella Emhoff raised funds for a Black trans organisation by offering participants the chance to win a design knitted by her. (Instagram/ Ella Emhoff)
Vice-president Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff has used her talent as a fashion designer to support Black trans people.
Harris, who married Doug Emhoff in 2014, is stepmother to his two children: Ella and Cole.
Emhoff is described on her website as a “multi-disciplinary artist and creator who founded Soft Hands, Inc in 2021.” She graduated from Parsons School of Design, in Manhattan, and created Soft Hands Knit Club, to teach knitting while strengthening community connections.
In November, Emhoff launched a knit pants raffle to support For The Gworls, a collective that curates parties to raise money for Black trans people. The cash helps pay for gender-affirming surgeries, medicines and doctor’s visits as well as basics such as rent.
“They are doing really beautiful work and are currently seeking more funds to help them shorten their assistance wait time,” Emhoff wrote.
The fundraiser asked people to donate $10 (£7.70), with a possible prize of a pair of custom-made side knit pants.
Emhoff’s support comes as anti-trans legislation sweeps across the US. In 2023, there were 600 anti-trans bills written at national and state levels – there had been just 174 the year before – with 87 passing.
This year looks set to surpass that number again, with more than 600 new bills already in existence.
Emhoff’s stepmother has a long history of LGBTQ+ advocacy and opposing right-wing rhetoric.
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