Vice President Harris becomes first VP to march in Pride

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Kamala Harris, the United States’ first Black woman Vice President, changed history again this weekend, becoming the first sitting Vice President to march in Pride. Vice President Harris and her husband, Second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff, attended the Capital Pride parade in Washington D.C. on Saturday, where they enthusiastically marched and waved to the crowds of supporters.

Vice President Harris, along with President Biden, have positioned themselves as allies to the LGBTQ+ community, promising support in particular for transgender citizens, whose rights have been repeatedly attacked since last year’s election. “We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected. We need, still, protections around employment and housing,” Vice President Harris said to reporters. “There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.”

Wearing a “Love is Love,” shirt, Vice President Harris was all smiles as she marched proudly, stopping to chat with supporters along the way. The Pride parade route started at P Street before moving through Dupont Circle to 14th and R Street. 

Pride during COVID

While DC Pride events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic regularly attracted over 250,000 attendees, this year’s celebration was slightly more muted, with organizers encouraging COVID safety precautions such as distancing during the march. 

Eagle-eyed Twitter users noticed that Vice President Harris’ secret service detail did not seem as enthusiastic about marching in Pride, trying and failing to blend in with the large crowd along the route. However, that didn’t appear to detract from Vice President Harris’ obvious enthusiasm for taking part in Pride, which has been celebrated in June every year since the Stonewall uprising in New York City 1969. 

While Vice President Harris only marched in the parade briefly, she posted a photo and video of her experience at Capital Pride to her official @VP twitter, and her bio currently displays a prominent Happy Pride Month background.