Because people don't really know how to read anymore (and they love to be indignant above all else), Chappell Roan's recent comments to The Guardian about not "feeling pressured" to endorse Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 US election were widely misconstrued as being proof that the pop star is some kind of right-leaning centrist.
That's obviously not what she was trying to say — in actuality, it seems like Roan is, very fairly, wary of the democratic party's support of the ongoing genocide in Palestine and their continued tilt toward the political centre — and she's now released yet another TikTok clarifying her comments.
UPDATE (9/25 12:32 p.m. ET): Roan has uploaded another TikTok to further clarify her position after her previous statement has continued to be misinterpreted. She said:
Endorsing and voting are completely different. I don't agree with a lot of what is going on with, like, policies. Like, obviously fuck the policies of the right, but also fuck some of the policies on the left. That's why I can't endorse. That's why I can't put my entire name and my entire project behind one. Because there is no way I can stand behind some of the left's completely transphobic and completely genocidal views. So yeah, there are huge problems on both. You know what's right and wrong, and so do I.
Fuck Trump for fucking real, but fuck some of the shit that has gone down in the Democratic Party that has failed people like me and you, and moreso, Palestine. And moreso, every marginalized community in the world. So no, I'm not going to settle for the options that are in front of me, and you're not gonna make me feel bad for that. So yeah, I'm voting for fucking Kamala.
But I'm not settling for what has been offered, 'cause that's questionable. It's questionable that our actions of our government, the actions of the internet, the actions of you and me. If this is what you are not understanding, you know what. Endorsing someone, if someone is publicly endorsing a political figure, that doesn't even mean that they are going to fucking vote for them. Because as I said in my other video, actions speak louder than words. And I'm not gonna let this narrative, like, me playing both sides, no, no no, this is me not playing both sides, this is me questioning both sides because this is what we have in front of us.
So if you look at my statement and you're still like, "She's just playing both sides," no, you're not getting it. I'm critiquing both sides because they're both so fucked up. Voting is all we have right now in the system. And so. Encourage it, yet again, vote for who, in your mind, is the best option for what we have right now. Because it's all we can do. And I hope this makes it clear that, no, I'm not picking the sides of what we have right now. Yes, one's obviously better than the other, but Jesus fucking Christ, I hope you don't settle for what we have. And put your name behind someone you don't fully fully trust because of their blatant actions.
Here's what she had to say:
There is nuance to what I say in interviews and I think it's important that people use critical thinking. I think it's important for me to question authority and question world leaders and question myself, question my algorithm, question if some person that tweeted something about someone else is even true. It's important to question because that's how I think we move forward. This is my third election in voting and the world is changing so rapidly and I want to be part of the generation that changes things for good because we need it. If you come to my shows, if you read my full interviews, if you literally know anything about me and for what I stand for, you know that this is not lip service, this is not virtue signalling, that my actions have always paved the way for my project and the people who really know me. Actions speak louder than words and actions speak louder than an endorsement.
Here's the full quote that a lot of people are just not reading: "'I have so many issues with our government in every way,' she says. 'There are so many things that I would want to change so feel pressured to endorse someone. There's problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what's going on in your city.' The change she wants to see in the US in this election year, she says instantly, is 'trans rights. They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people, period.'"
So, hear it from my mouth if you're still wondering. No, I'm not voting for Trump and yes, I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people and I will stand up for what's right and what I believe in and it's always at the forefront of my project and I'm sorry that you fell for the clickbait.
Here's an extra hot tip: stop looking to pop stars to validate your political opinions!
See Roan's TikTok below.