Kamala Harris becomes first VP to march in LGBTQ+ Pride parade
Harris walked and waved in Saturday's Capital Pride march wearing a t-shirt reading "Love is love."
Vice President Kamala Harris, already a host of firsts, is now the first sitting vice president of America to march in an LGBTQ+ Pride parade.
Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff walked and waved in the Washington, D.C. parade Saturday wearing shirts emblazoned with “Love is love” and “Love first.”
In 2019, the former California senator wore a sparkling rainbow jacket designed by Levi’s to a pride parade in San Francisco when she was campaigning for the presidency. Glamour called the garment “a moment.” But this year, Harris’ attire was a little more toned down as she walked with the crowd greeting attendees with “Happy Pride!”
She also made brief remarks in which she called for the passage of the Equality Act and offered support for trans Americans.
“We still have so much to do,” Harris said. “We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected. We need, still, protections around employment and housing. There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.”
The parade was scaled down due to COVID-19 restrictions, instead, it was more of a walk culminating in a rally at Freedom Plaza, with remarks from Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, organized by the Capital Pride Alliance.
Recently, Bowser included several ambitious initiatives in her 2022 budget that specifically address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in the district, including more than $2,500,000 for the creation of low-barrier shelters for transgender residents and $1,000,000 for a community center to house advocacy and support organizations.
Capital Pride Alliance is a non-profit organization centered in Washington D.C. dedicated to serving the needs of the region’s LGBTQ+ community and its partners through educational events, entertainment, community outreach and celebrations of diversity.
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