Welcome to The Pink Phony Club: The Performative Activism of Chappel Roan

When Chappell Roan declared at the 2025 Grammys that she "would not be here without trans girls," it painted a picture of steadfast advocacy. But actions speak louder than words, and Roan's refusal to support Kamala Harris in the 2024 election reveals the hollow nature of her proclaimed allyship.

The stakes for trans Americans couldn't be higher. During his previous term, Trump systematically dismantled trans protections through executive actions: banning transgender individuals from military service, rolling back healthcare protections, and attempting to redefine gender to exclude trans identity from civil rights protections. His administration even argued to restrict trans students' access to appropriate facilities in schools.

Yet when faced with a clear choice between Harris's promised expansion of trans rights and Trump's documented hostility toward the trans community, Roan chose the path of "both sides have problems." This from an artist who claims to champion trans rights while refusing a White House Pride performance, dismissively calling it being a "monkey for Pride."

The cognitive dissonance is striking.

Roan criticizes the Democratic administration's trans rights record while seemingly forgetting that Republican-controlled states have passed over 200 anti-trans bills in recent years. Her uncle, Republican State Representative Darin Chappell, actively supports policies that harm the very community she claims to defend.

Perhaps most telling is Roan's continued warm relationship with her uncle, State Representative Darin Chappell, who actively works to restrict trans rights in Missouri. While Roan makes Grammy speeches about trans existence, her uncle co-sponsors bills that would ban gender-affirming care and restrict trans students' rights in schools. She defends this relationship by saying "they love me and I love them," as if love can excuse actively harming trans youth. This isn't just about family dynamics – it's about choosing comfort over conscience while trans children in Missouri face the consequences of her uncle's legislation.

Roan's stance that "there's problems on both sides" demonstrates a privileged remove from the reality faced by trans Americans. While she enjoys the platform to make Grammy speeches about trans existence, her political fence-sitting threatens the basic rights of the community she claims to support.

The artist attempts to justify her position by criticizing Democratic policies on other issues, but this reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of political reality. In a two-party system, refusing to support the candidate actively defending trans rights effectively supports the candidate working to eliminate them.

Taylor Swift, by contrast, recognized the moment's gravity and made a clear choice to endorse Harris. Roan's equivocation under the guise of "using critical thinking skills" and encouraging people to "vote small" ignores the national-level threats to trans existence that demand immediate action.

In a world of pop girls, be Taylor Swift, not a Chappel Roan.

True allyship requires more than Grammy speeches and drag-inspired performances. It demands engaging with political reality and making tough choices to protect vulnerable communities. Roan's performative activism might play well on stage, but in the real world where trans rights are under sustained attack, her neutrality serves only those who would deny trans Americans their basic dignity.

As the trans community faces unprecedented legislative attacks across the country, they need allies willing to take clear stands, not celebrities who use their struggle for cultural cachet while shrinking from meaningful political support. Roan's stance isn't nuanced – it's negligent.