On Monday, a virtual gathering called "White Dudes for Harris" raised millions of dollars in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. The event featured Hollywood A-listers and prominent White men who voiced concerns about the co-opting of masculinity by the "Make America Great Again" movement. Among the notable participants were Jeff Bridges, Bradley Whitford, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Mark Hamill.
On Monday, a virtual gathering called "White Dudes for Harris" raised several million dollars in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. The event featured Hollywood A-listers and prominent White men who voiced concerns about the co-opting of masculinity by the "Make America Great Again" movement.
White Dudes for Harris: Celebrities and Politicians Rally Behind the Vice President
Organizers of the fundraiser подчеркивал that their goal was not to "let the MAGA crowd bully other White guys into voting for a hateful and divisive ideology." Ross Morales Rocketto, one of the organizers, said, "Throughout American history, when White men organized, it was often with pointy hats on," referring to the Ku Klux Klan.
Rocketto added that economic changes have left many hardworking White men behind and that the myths around America's expectations of men as protectors and providers do not align with the current economy.
White Dudes for Harris: Celebrities and Politicians Rally Behind the Vice President
Among the supporters were several celebrities who acknowledged their whiteness while still supporting Harris, including Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges.
"I'm White. I'm a dude, and I'm for Harris," he said. "It's not so much a fight. It's a surrender to our higher thoughts. How we want this future to turn out. So I'm kind of surrendering to it… but that's just my approach."
White Dudes for Harris: Celebrities and Politicians Rally Behind the Vice President
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who withdrew from consideration as a potential running mate with Harris, also voiced his support, saying, "Real men respect women, their decisions, [and] their careers."
Other guests included actor Bradley Whitford, who said he was happy to see a "variety of whiteness" that was like a "rainbow of beige," Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Hamill, as well as labor leaders and other elected officials like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
White Dudes for Harris: Celebrities and Politicians Rally Behind the Vice President
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joked that he would be joining another call called "Couches Against Trump, better known as CATS," which refers to Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance's criticism of prominent Democrats as "childless cat ladies."
Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged White men to look at the bigger picture and to stop thinking of themselves as victims.
White Dudes for Harris: Celebrities and Politicians Rally Behind the Vice President
"I would just say this to the White men of America, this idea that when other people get, we lose, that when other people benefit, we just get left behind," he said. "That is absolutely not true."
Actor Josh Gad, who said he cried while standing over his child's bed when former President Trump was elected in 2016, took a swipe at the Republican National Convention and the list of celebrities who attended.
"They have Kid Rock, Kevin Sorbo, and a dolphin aficionado, and we have the Hulk… Luke Skywalker and Mayor Pete (Buttigieg). That's pretty damn cool," Gad said.
The women who have spoken out at official Harris events, meanwhile, have at times lambasted the entire group of White women.
Shannon Watts, the founder of gun-control advocacy group "Moms Demand Action" who organized a White women for Harris call on Thursday, said, "The bad news is that a majority of White women vote for Republicans, because too many of us believe, subconsciously, that it is in our best interest to use our privilege and our support systems of White supremacy and the patriarchy to benefit us."
However, the most widely-criticized video came from a TikTok influencer, Arielle Fodor, who spoke at Thursday's White women call.
"We are here because… BIPOC women have tapped us as White women to step up," she said. "As white women, we need to use our privilege to make positive changes. If you find yourself talking over or speaking for BIPOC individuals or God forbid correcting them, just take a beat, and instead, we can put our listening ears on."
"As White people, we have a lot to learn and unlearn, so do check your blind spots. You are responsible," she added, while adding that White women should focus on using their supposed privilege.
