Chappell Roan seems to be just as exhausted with the state of politics in the United States as the rest of us. In a new cover story from Rolling Stone published Tuesday, the pop star opened up about a range of issues, from her mental health and relationship with her fans, to the current state of government.
Speaking to the magazine the day after Biden held a gaffe-filled press conference (and before Kamala Harris had become the Democratic candidate for president), Roan said, “I’m pretty, ‘Fuck the government, and fuck everything that’s going on right now.’” She shared the sentiment with “middle fingers in the air,” the profile notes.
“I don’t have a side because I hate both sides, and I’m so embarrassed about everything going on right now,” Roan continued.
Her views may not be surprising given her decision not to perform at the White House for LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a choice she revealed during her June performance at the Governors Ball in New York City.
“I’m not going to go to the White House because I am not going to be a monkey for Pride,” she told Rolling Stone. “And thank God I didn’t go because they just made a huge statement about trans kids a couple weeks ago.” The magazine notes that Roan is referring to the Biden administration’s statement that it opposed gender-affirming surgery for trans minors. (After backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates who pointed out that such surgeries are vanishingly rare, the administration clarified its stance somewhat, ultimately standing by its position but adding that the administration would “continue to vigorously fight categorical bans on gender-affirming care.”)
Roan said that, prior to declining the invitation, she had considered taking the White House up on its offer, then showing up and reading poems written by Palestinian women.
“I was trying to do it as tastefully as I could because all I wanted to do was yell,” she said. “I had to find something that’s tasteful and to the point and meaningful, and not make it about me and how I feel. I don’t know if I’ll ever get that close in direct sight of the president ever in my life. This is my shot.” She ultimately said she decided not to because her publicist said she shouldn’t “fuck with the president and the government” as it could be a threat to both her safety and the safety of her family.
“Right now, it’s more important than ever to use your vote, and I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” she told Rolling Stone. “My ethics and values will always align with that, and that hasn’t changed with a different nominee. I feel lucky to be alive during an incredibly historical time period when a woman of color is a presidential nominee.”
Roan said that any decision not to perform for Biden should not be read as an endorsement for Trump. “It is not so black and white that you hate one and you like the other,” she said. “No matter how you say it, people are still going to be pissed for fucking some reason.”
Aside from talking politics, Roan also opened up about her diagnosis with bipolar II disorder, as well as the support that she’s gotten from other pop stars in the wake of experiencing fame in the last year.
Roan had been “posting and promoting her way through” a period of hypomania, the magazine said. “I wasn’t sleeping,” she said. “I was on the incorrect meds. I had the energy and the delusion and realized that this app is fueled off of mental illness. Straight up.”
And when it came to navigating her own mental health amid inappropriate fan behavior, she said she’s relied on help from a veritable who’s-who of pop girlies; Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Hayley Williams, MUNA, Miley Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde and others have all reached out to offer support (or an invite to a party).
She has also apparently planned a meetup with “Espresso” chanteuse Sabrina Carpenter to go over their blockbuster summers.
“We’re both going through something so fucking hard … she just feels like everything is flying, and she’s just barely hanging on,” Roan said. “It was just good to know someone else feels that way.”
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.
