Trans singer Ethel Cain defends Chappell Roan amid election controversy
Transgender musician Ethel Cain has defended Chappell Roan, who has become embroiled in a controversy over comments she made about November’s presidential election.
Cain insisted that criticising Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was not an endorsement of rival Donald Trump.
Lesbian pop star Roan has faced criticism for the comments, which she now claims were “taken out of context”, in which she said there were “problems on both sides” of the political aisle. She later clarified that while she would vote for vice-president Harris, she wouldn’t necessarily endorse her.
“No, I’m not voting for Trump,” she said. “And yes, I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people.”
Fans pointed to her staunch support for Palestine and LGBTQ+ rights as the reasons she might be criticising the Democrats, but added that that was not the same as backing former president Trump.
Cain wrote on Tumblr that she didn’t believe people should have to “happily vote for Kamala” in order for Trump to lose.
“Y’all cannot be stupid enough to scream f**k Israel all year (rightfully so), then go happily vote for Kamala… like she didn’t just get up on that debate stage and say Israel has the right to blow the entire levant to smithereens,” she said.
“The fact that even slight criticism of Kamala, the public servant we’re expected to elect as the president, as the progressive option, is seen as immediate unwavering support of Trump… y’all cannot be this stupid, I don’t want to believe it.”
With the row failing to show signs of subsiding, Roan took to TikTok to say: “F**k Trump for f**king real, but f**k some of the s**t that has gone down in the Democratic Party that has failed people like me and you, and, more so, Palestine.”
She added that she was voting for Harris, but wasn’t “settling for what has been offered”.
In June, the singer revealed she’d turned down an invitation to perform at the White House for Pride because of her support for Palestine and trans rights.
“We want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come,” she said. “That means freedom and trans rights, that means freedom and women’s rights, and it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.”
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