Kamala Harris took the stage at HRC Dinner wearing an all-white suit and pearl necklace. She was introduced by Human Rights Campaign incoming president, Kelley Robinson. The crowd, composed of close to 2700 guests, welcomed Harris with loud cheers from across the room.
The Vice President began by addressing the “vicious attack” on Nancy Pelosi’s husband.
“I spoke with Speaker Pelosi yesterday morning,” revealed Harris.”She intended to be here with all of us. Many of you know of her long-standing leadership and allyship, and support of HRC. She is a dear friend, she and Paul both, and so I told her that we are all praying for Paul and their entire family.”
VP Harris was determined. “There’s no place in America for political violence,” she said.
Harris described her long history with the HRC, first attending this dinner in 1999. “The President and I are so proud to have led the most pro-equality administration in our nation’s history,” she said to loud cheers from supporters.
Harris spoke of “powerful forces” in the country trying to take America backward. “Today, the rights, the freedoms and the very existence of LGBTQ+ people are under assault,” she said.
Harris hit out at “extremist so-called leaders” who have pushed for a nationwide abortion ban. “This is just the beginning,” she said, citing threats to contraception access, marriage equality, and voting rights.
“Tonight I have a message in particular for the young leaders of America. We see you and we hear you and you are not alone. There are millions of us who stand by your side and we are in this fight together,” she said.
Harris then discussed Democrats’ push to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and the protections of Roe v Wade into law.
She ended by reminding the Americans to come out to vote. “Well, there is an election in 10 days. And I know in 10 days we will make our voices heard and we still speak out for freedom, we still speak out for democracy, we still speak out for equality and as always we will speak out with pride.”
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