Yahoo Finance Kamala Harris Made History With Her Appearance at a D.C. Pride March
Anna Moneymaker, Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris made history on Saturday, June 12th, becoming the first sitting vice president to march in a LGBTQ+ Pride parade. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, took to the streets during the Capital Pride parade wearing shirts that read "Love Is Love" and "Love First."
"We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected," Harris said in a brief speech she made during the event. "We need, still, protections around employment and housing. There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed and we understand the importance of this movement and our roles of leadership in this ongoing movement."
She also called on lawmakers to pass the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The republican party and certain religious groups are currently opposing the passage of the bill fearing infringement on religious beliefs and gendered sports.
Harris also wore a Harwell Godfrey Black Onyx Heart necklace to the parade. The designer donates 100% of proceeds made from the necklace to the NAACP, and so far, Harwell Godfrey has raised over $130,000 for the organization.
The @SecondGentleman and I stopped by Capital Pride today! pic.twitter.com/vjx1k9DD5z
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 12, 2021
Though this is the first time a VP has walked in a Pride parade as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, this isn't Harris's first Pride celebration. In 2019, while she was campaigning for presidency, Harris rocked a bedazzled rainbow Levi's jacket while waving the rainbow flag during the San Francisco Pride parade.
"Every June, we celebrate the contributions the LGBTQ+ community have made to our nation's past, present, and future," Harris captioned a throwback photo from the 2019 celebration posted to her official Instagram account on June 4th. "But we must recommit ourselves to doing everything in our power to protect the community from discrimination and harm and deliver full and equal rights to LGBTQ+ Americans."
There she goes again-making history with a smile and wave!
