Beyoncé attends Kamala Harris rally and defends abortion rights

The rally of the vice president of the United States and Democratic candidate to succeed Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, in Texas, this Friday (25) was attended by the singer Beyoncé.

The event, held in a stadium in Houston, was attended by more than 20 thousand people.

At the meeting, the artist expressed support for Kamala’s candidacy and defended the right to abortion.

“I’m not here as a celebrity or as a political figure, I’m here as a mother concerned about the world my children live in,” said Beyoncé, in her hometown.

Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are strictly tied in the popular vote, according to the latest final national poll conducted by the The New York Times with Siena College.

The survey shows that both have 48% of preferences, a scenario that corroborates other surveys that showed the Republican reducing the difference with the Democrat in recent weeks.

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NYT poll shows Kamala and Trump tied with 48% of the national vote

Beyoncé’s history in political discussions

The rally in Houston, the singer’s hometown, is the main attraction in a series of appearances by her and artistic events of a political nature. In 2008, the artist’s husband, Jay-Z, held a rally for Barack Obama, while she herself sang the national anthem and the classic “At Last”, by Etta James, at the president’s inauguration ceremony.

The star also held a rally for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and supported Joe Biden and Kamala in 2020, via Instagram. The Democrat embraced the song “Freedom”, from the 2016 album and film “Lemonade”, as her campaign anthem. The production showed mothers of victims of police brutality. After publication, police unions in Tennessee and Florida asked their members to boycott the artist’s shows.

With approximately 314 million followers on Instagram, Beyoncé offers Kamala access to a segment of the American population — especially black and young voters — considered crucial in the tight race against Trump.

Hollywood celebrities, including actresses Julia Roberts and Jane Fonda, are campaigning for Kamala, as are musicians Bruce Springsteen, Usher and Lizzo. Trump has the support of wrestlers, wrestler Hulk Hogan and musician Kid Rock.

Young women in Houston commented on the political performance of the city’s biggest star.

“Beyoncé is a national icon because, at the end of the day, we are all people with our own views and values. Beyoncé is brave enough to support her values ​​even though people judge her for it,” said Nadira Smith, 27 years old. Sydney Mukavetz, 25 years old and born in Michigan, but living in Houston for a year, said she found it “a little strange” to have celebrities at political rallies.

“I think support and performance are very different things,” he added.

(With information from Reuters)