The ongoing spectacle of liberal celebrities refusing any association with the conservative White House just got its newest participant, amidst cheers from festival-goers in New York. Singer Chappell Roan has opted to turn down an invitation to perform at a White House “Pride” event, preaching that our nation doesn’t truly uphold ‘liberty and justice for all.’
Let’s get down to brass tacks here. Performing at the Governors Ball festival, Roan decided to showcase her lack of political astuteness. In full green gear and sporting a similar colored wig, suggesting a likeness to the Statue of Liberty, she basically told the White House, and I paraphrase, “Invite me when liberty, justice, and freedom are for all.”
Referring to herself as the “biggest queen of all,” she quoted the famous poem emblazoned at the base of the Statue of Liberty, indicating that its messages of freedom, applied to trans rights, women’s rights, and the rights of the oppressed people, are being overlooked by the current administration. These statements drew cheers from the predictable audience.
Raised in a Christian home in Missouri, Roan has maintained her support for the LGBTQ community for quite some time. Nevertheless, she refused the invitation to perform at the White House ‘Pride’ event, suggesting that the current administration isn’t going the distance for the LGBTQ cause.
When this news reached her fans, they applauded her decision. Social media platforms buzzed with users sharing videos of her performance against the White House. Some didn’t agree, going as far as calling her ‘ignorant,’ while others accused her of seeking to gratify her need for attention, essentially using social issues as a publicity prop.
Roan, honestly speaking, hasn’t made monumental waves in the music industry previously, so using this platform to promote her social justice agenda might be a smart play to garner attention. No matter how you slice it, her decision to refrain from participating in White House events isn’t going to fundamentally shape or shift political views or policy changes.
In conclusion, Roan has joined the queue of liberal celebrities utilizing the stage to spread their political bias. Yet, her refusal to perform at the White House only limits her professional opportunities, and quite frankly, our republic can live without a performance from an artist of her status. We’ll reserve her place in the ‘celebrities acting out’ chronicle. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s all part and parcel of the enduring political theater.
