Billy Porter is receiving backlash for greeting U.S. President Joe Biden with a kiss on the hand at the White House’s early Juneteenth Holiday celebration and concert on Monday. The holiday celebration, hosted by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, included singers Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle and rapper Doug E. Fresh.
Porter, a Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominee, sat in the front row, beside Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff. The Pose star reached over Harris and Emhoff to kiss Biden’s hand.
The moment has caught the attention of social media, particularly since he is set to co-write, co-produce, and lead act in a forthcoming biopic about the famed writer, James Baldwin.
With books like Notes of a Native Son, and many open letters and essays addressing American politics and ideals, Baldwin was deeply connected to the civil rights movement, arguing that in order for white Americans to celebrate freedom, they must also reckon with their history of slavery and racism.
In a 1963 letter to his nephew, Baldwin wrote of the United States: “the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too soon.”
Baldwin was also notably critical of Israel, and found much solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people.
For much of the concert, Porter danced beside the President and vice president, swaying to the variety of musical acts performed on the White House’s South Lawn.
In 2021, President Biden named Juneteenth an official holiday, which commemorates the emancipation of America’s enslaved people, and in particular when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation.
One tweet about the incident with Porter said, “James Baldwin challenged white supremacy at every turn. Billy Porter kneels and kisses it at every turn. They are not the same!”
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How demented, deranged, anti GOD, Anti American, constitution hating, pathetic is this talentless subhuman scum bag. WHY NOT JUST BEND OVER AND TAKE UP THE ASS LIKE REST OF AMERICANS. EVEN TOLERATING BIDEN MAKES YOU A TRAITOR TO ALL HUMANITY. USELESS WASTE OF LIFE. WORM FOOD.
Hey Flintstone, Chill out.
It was probably in jest and you guys seem to be losing your mind. Better this joke than the wave of GOP politicians that have stated they hate it Trump now kissing his a-s
Currently the defenders of our America Values and Constitution seem to be the Democrats, they are not trying to execute a coup OR fake electors or trying to elect a felon that disdain the military and the Constitution.
Take your meds, we will all eventually become worm food…to me traitors are those that enveloped themselves in the flag pretending to be uber-patriots while forgetting what that flag really represent
Traitors are those corrupt politicians who line their pockets with millions selling out our country to our enemies. You must have crawled out of Biden’s ass to make such stupid, uneducated and unAmerican comments. Crawl back into the hole you came out of dude!
The only reasonable and plausible explanation for this sissy black person to be worshiping and kissing the hand of racist Joe Biden is that deep down many black people want to be in kept in chains and servitude and are more comfortable on their knees serving the almighty superior white race; and joey biden knows it, believes it and expects it!