More than 20,000 people show up for Kamala Harris's LGBTQ+ community call

LGBTQ+ advocates, HBCU students, and allies gathered virtually Thursday night for a fundraiser backing Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. The Human Rights Campaign organized the “Out for Kamala Harris LGBTQ+ Unity” call, a virtual rally, with Equality California, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, and other leading advocacy groups. It showcased a broad coalition rallying behind Harris.

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The evening kicked off with an introduction by HRC president Kelley Robinson, who set the tone for the night.

“Tonight is about showing the strength of our community and our unwavering support for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Robinson said. “We are here to rally, to organize, and to ensure that we elect the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first Southeast Asian woman to the highest office in the land.”

According to HRC, the fundraiser’s success was undeniable, with over 20,000 participants joining across platforms and raising over $300,000 over 2.5 hours. More than 1,500 people signed up to volunteer.

“The outpouring of grassroots support from our community is historic, and it’s a reflection of our coalition mobilizing early and aggressively to beat Donald Trump this morning,” national LGBTQ+ engagement director for the Harris campaign, Sam Alleman, told The Advocate in a statement. “Team Harris is stronger with the unrivaled organizing spirit of LGBTQ+ organizers.”

The night’s proceedings included testimonies from high-profile supporters. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon set the tone, reflecting on the campaign’s electrifying energy. “I believe she can win. I know that she can win,” Lemon said, stressing the importance of maintaining momentum through election day.

Lemon also shared a personal story involving a conversation with political strategist James Carville. “When I spoke with James Carville last night, the great James Carville, who’s from my hometown in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he said, ‘This is all exciting. This is great. I believe she can win. I know that she can win. But I want to see this excitement come October into November, all the way up until election day,’” Lemon recounted.

Joining with her girlfriend, former soccer star Ashlyn Harris from Paris, actress Sophia Bush emphasized the global significance of Harris’s candidacy. “We are standing on the shoulders of giants. Let’s honor their legacy by fighting for our future,” she said.

"We need to come together like never before,” actor and activist Wilson Cruz said. He had just come from Harris’s home at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. “Kamala Harris is committed to our community in ways that go beyond mere words. She lives and breathes this fight every day, and I’ve seen it up close.”

Rufus Gifford, a former U.S. ambassador and finance chair of the Harris campaign advocacy, added his voice to the chorus, stressing the high stakes of the upcoming election. “This is a battle for our future, and we need every single one of you in this fight,” he said.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson brought humor and sincerity to the call.

“I obviously am supportive of her because I am not a crazy person. Also, I just wanted to admit to you all those text messages that you’ve been getting saying, ‘Will you definitely vote for Kamala Harris in this next election cycle? Press stop to quit, all that stuff.’ Those were from me. Those were from me. And I apologize, and I will probably not stop sending them, but I just want you to know that those are actually from me,” Ferguson quipped before expressing his steadfast support for Harris.

“Kamala Harris is a candidate who stands up for those equal rights,” iconic Wonder Woman actress Linda Carter said. “Rise up and feel this opportunity in your very bones.”

The event also featured heartfelt contributions from a diverse array of community leaders. Jay Jones, a trailblazing Howard University student and the first transgender woman to serve as president of an HBCU’s Student Government Association, embodied the event’s spirit of resilience and progress. “We are ecstatic to be moving the people onward,” she declared, emphasizing the historical significance of Harris’s candidacy. “We are taking the cuts for Kamala Harris because she has been doing it for us over and over again.”

Harris, a graduate of Howard, would be the first U.S. president to attend a historically black college and university.

In a poignant moment, 15-year-old Sky Green from Arizona expressed their endorsement of Harris despite not yet being able to vote. “I’m rooting for a victory for Kamala Harris in large part because I know that under her administration, my rights and the rights of more than 20 million of my LGBTQ siblings will not be under threat,” Green said. Their words highlighted the stakes of the upcoming election and the importance of ensuring a safe and inclusive future for all.

Robinson celebrated the night’s achievements, noting the outpouring of support and the critical role of grassroots efforts.

“Last night wasn’t just an event; it was a declaration,” Robinson told The Advocate in a statement. “When tens of thousands unite, raising not just funds but hopes, filling volunteer roles with passionate hearts, we send an unmistakable message to those who would divide us: We stand united behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Our unity is our strength - in our fight for equality and in our pursuit of justice, which includes a vision of a nation that embraces love over hate and hope over fear.”

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, underscored the importance of representation.

“LGBTQ+ Victory is about representation, and a record amount of LGBTQ+ elected officials, candidates, community members, and groups assembled to support Vice President Kamala Harris in her new Presidential campaign,” Parker said in a statement. “While Victory Fund endorses LGBTQ+ candidates and tickets that include them, it was undeniable that our record amount of elected officials and endorsees were energized to share a ticket with Harris in this historic moment.”

HRC national press secretary Brandon Wolf, who co-hosted the event, celebrated its success. “Tens of thousands of people gathered last night to send a message: we choose freedom. We choose equality. And we are unified behind Vice President Kamala Harris,” Wolf said. “She has shown up for our community throughout her career, and we made clear that we will show up for her from now until Election Day. It was an honor to be in a community with so many champions last night — now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States.”

Enthusiastic fundraising calls have abounded since Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, as different segments of the population mobilized to contribute to her campaign’s success.

Simultaneously to the HRC call, other calls were taking place, further amplifying the support for Harris’s campaign. Notably, a call hosted by white women attracted 150,000 participants, “breaking the internet and setting a record for the largest Zoom call in history,” Lemon said. That call, organized by Shannon Watts, the founder of the gun-safety group Moms Demand Action, also saw queer celebs speak about Harris.

“White women have fallen down too many times when it comes to voting for a presidential candidate," Watts said, Reuters reports.

Watts wrote on social media that the call had collected $2 million for the Harris campaign.

Another call, aimed at black queer men, also saw significant engagement. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff made an appearance.

“As it relates to this wonderful, beautiful community of Black gay men, she has always been beside you, with you, has had your back, and always will have your back, just like she’s going to have everyone else’s back,” Emhoff said, according to theLos Angeles Times.

Out Minnesota U.S. Rep. Angie Craig celebrated the event’s theme of belief and progress on the HRC call.

“We are going to get Kamala Harris across the finish line because she’s going to stand with legislators like me,” Craig said.

Watch the Out for Kamala Harris LGBTQ+ Unity call below.

Out For Kamala Harris Callwww.youtube.com

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of Vice President Kamala Harris in the headline. An earlier version of this article also referred to the National LGBTQ Task Force instead of theNational LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.