LGBTQ+ Musician Rejects Biden's White House Invite, Issues Demands

Musician Chappell Roan said on Sunday that she rejected an invitation from President Joe Biden's White House to perform at an LGBTQ+ Pride event.

Roan, who is rising in popularity and identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, revealed the White House invited her to perform at a Pride event while speaking to the audience during her show at the Governors Ball in New York on Sunday evening. However, she declined to perform, she said, issuing a demand for Biden.

"This is a response to the White House, who asked me to perform for Pride. We want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that's when I'll come," Roan said.

Also during the performance, Roan, dressed as the Statue of Liberty, called attention to the poem etched on the statue to make another political point.

"'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' That means freedom in trans rights. That means freedom in women's rights. And it especially means freedom for all people and oppressed. It especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories," she said, which garnered cheers from the crowd.

Her comments come as Biden continues to face dwindling popularity among young Americans amid the 2024 presidential election. He and former President Donald Trump are the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees and are set to face off in November.

Many young voters, who are more likely to identify as politically progressive, have taken issue with Biden's stance on issues like the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, climate change and the economy. While some more recent polls show Biden is still more popular than Trump among Generation Z, others have given warning signs to Biden about his popularity among young voters.

Roan did not specify exactly which issue she was referring to when she said she declined the White House's offer, but the Israel-Hamas conflict has been a sticking point in Biden's support among young voters. The president has cast himself as an Israel supporter, arguing the country has the right to defend itself from Hamas while also urging its military to do more to ensure civilians are not killed in the violence.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage. Israel subsequently launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 36,700 Palestinians, the Associated Press reports, citing the Gaza Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, about half of the Israeli hostages were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November.

Roan has developed a strong following among the LGBTQ+ community and has been vocal about her support for LGBTQ+ rights, performing alongside drag queens on her tour. She is best known for her song, "Good Luck, Babe!"

Video of Roan's comments went viral on X, formerly Twitter, late Sunday evening. The clip was posted by well-known pop culture account @PopBase and was viewed 250,000 times by Monday morning.

However, her comments were met with mixed reception on X, with some supporting her for not performing at the White House. Critics, however, cautioned that they believe Trump would be worse for the LGBTQ+ community.

Newsweek reached out to Roan's publicist and the White House for comment via email.

"Good for her," posted Nina Turner, a progressive commentator and former Ohio state Senator.

"This is what solidarity looks like. This is what allyship looks like. Everyone giving performative, bulls*** lip service, take note! #PermanentCeasefireNOW," wrote activist Rania Batrice.

"You have two choices in November: a guy who recognizes Pride Month, and a guy who doesn't. Whatever other option you're looking for, you're not gonna get," wrote Dorian Hunter Davis, a professor of communications at Webster University.

"This is unintelligible word salad. This is the most pro-LGBT Presidency i[n] US history by a mile. If she's mad at lack of progress in certain areas, she should take it up with Republicans," posted @What46HasDone, a popular pro-Biden account.

Biden has pledged support for LGBTQ+ rights, strengthening anti-discrimination measures in health care and Title IX protections for the community during his time in office. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Biden has also worked on initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ children in the child welfare system and improve mental health access for LGBTQ+ youth.

Meanwhile, Trump has sought to cast himself as more moderate on LGBTQ+ rights than other Republicans, saying he is "fine" with same-sex marriage and has sold LGBTQ+ pride merchandise in the past. However, he has said he would sign executive orders to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth if reelected in November.

As president, Trump implemented a ban on transgender people from serving in the military, drawing widespread backlash, and rescinded guidance urging public schools to let transgender students use the bathrooms of their gender identity.

Update 6/10/24, 10:06 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

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