Rising pop artist Chappell Roan, known (to some) for her song “Good Luck, Babe!,” publicly announced that she declined an offer to perform at a White House Pride celebration over Joe Biden‘s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Roan made the statement during her performance at the New York Governors Ball Festival on Sunday, June 9.
Taking the stage at Queens’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter was dressed in green body paint and a crown, paying homage to the Statue of Liberty. She dedicated her song “My Kink Is Karma” to the Biden government, stating, “As a response to the White House who asked me to perform at Pride: we want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
Roan’s declaration was met with cheers from the audience. Continuing her set, Roan recited a portion of Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, “The New Colossus,” which is engraved on the Statue of Liberty. She reminded the crowd, “I am in drag of the biggest queen of all. But in case you had forgotten what’s etched on my pretty little toes, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’”
Roan further emphasized the significance of freedom, specifically noting, “That means freedom in trans rights, that means freedom in women’s rights. And it especially means freedom for all people and the oppressed, including those in occupied territories.”
WATCH:
“It especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” – @ChappellRoan at Governor’s Ball pic.twitter.com/7SneLToIrx
— jason wu 🍉🍊🍓 (@CriticalRace) June 9, 2024