Politics gets weird. Fast. If you were online or watching TV during the late stages of the 2024 campaign, you definitely saw it. A jagged, high-contrast ad flashing across the screen with a narrator’s voice that felt like a punch. The kicker? "Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you." It stuck. People who didn’t know a thing about gender theory were suddenly googling the phrase. Critics called it a "nonsense" attack, while strategists labeled it one of the most effective 30-second spots in modern political history. Honestly, it basically became the shorthand for the entire culture war in a single sentence.
Why Kamala is for they them became a viral lightning rod
The phrase wasn't just a random jab. It was a calculated move by the Trump campaign to paint Kamala Harris as out of touch with "normal" Americans. Basically, it used the pronouns they/them as a symbol for a supposed radical agenda.
But where did it actually come from?
The ads weren't just making stuff up from thin air. They pulled from a 2019 interview Harris did with the National Center for Transgender Equality. In that clip, she talked about her work as California’s Attorney General. She mentioned specifically pushing the California Department of Corrections to ensure transgender inmates could access gender-affirming care—including surgery.
For some, that’s a human rights issue. For others, it’s a "wait, what?" moment about taxpayer money. The ad took that specific, nuanced policy and compressed it into a vibe.
The numbers behind the noise
Data from the Democratic super PAC Future Forward actually showed this ad was a powerhouse. It supposedly shifted the race by about 2.7 percentage points in certain demographics after people watched it. That’s huge in a country where elections are won on the margins.
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Why did it work? Because it didn't just attack her on the economy. It attacked her on identity. It suggested she was prioritizing a tiny, marginalized group over the "you" in the ad—the average voter.
The actual record vs. the 30-second soundbite
If you look at the reality, Harris’s history with the LGBTQ+ community is way more complex than a slogan. She’s been in the trenches on this stuff since the early 2000s.
- 2004: As San Francisco DA, she performed some of the first same-sex marriages in the country (even though they were later voided).
- 2014: She sponsored legislation in California to ban the "gay and transgender panic" defense. That was a legal loophole where people could literally claim they were so "shocked" by someone's identity that they weren't responsible for attacking them.
- The Prison Policy: This is the big one. While she did push for better care for trans inmates, she also faced heat from trans activists back then. Some felt she didn't go far enough or that her "prosecutor" past had hurt the community.
It’s kinda ironic. The ad says she's too for them. But back in 2019, activists like Chase Strangio from the ACLU were pretty vocal about her record being mixed. They argued her "tough on crime" policies disproportionately hurt trans people of color.
So, you’ve got the right saying she’s a radical trans advocate and the left saying she’s a cop who didn't do enough. Typical politics, right?
The gender-neutral "X" and the federal shift
Under the Biden-Harris administration, things did change on a practical level. This is where the they/them connection gets literal.
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The administration enabled U.S. citizens to select "X" as a gender marker on their passports. No more being forced into the binary boxes if you didn't fit. They also pushed for the Equality Act, which would basically make it illegal to discriminate based on gender identity nationwide.
Critics saw this as "woke" overreach. Supporters saw it as basic dignity. But for the purposes of a campaign ad, it was fuel. It allowed the opposition to link her to the "they/them" pronouns in a way that felt permanent and institutional.
What most people get wrong about the ad
A lot of folks thought the ad was just about pronouns. It wasn't. It was about taxpayer money.
The most effective versions of the ad featured Rodney Quine, an inmate who received taxpayer-funded surgery while Harris was AG. By focusing on the funding part, the ad bypassed the "live and let live" attitude many Americans have and went straight for the wallet. It made it about "your" money going to "their" transition.
Why it still matters in 2026
Even now, the phrase has a life of its own. It’s become a meme. It’s a shorthand for the divide between the "coastal elite" and the "heartland."
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Honestly, the "Kamala is for they/them" slogan changed how campaigns handle social issues. It showed that you don't need a 10-point policy plan to win a debate. You just need a catchy way to say, "She’s not like you."
How to navigate the noise
If you're trying to figure out where the truth lies, here’s the bottom line:
- Check the source. Most viral clips of Harris talking about these issues are from 2019, when the primary field was very far to the left.
- Look at the legislation. Most of what the administration did was executive action (like the passports) or support for bills that never passed the Senate.
- Understand the strategy. Slogans are designed to make you feel, not to make you think. "They/them" was used as a tool to create an "other."
Moving forward: Actionable insights
If you're following the 2026 political cycle or just trying to stay informed, don't let a three-word slogan be your only source of info.
- Read the memoirs. Harris’s recent book 107 Days actually goes into her side of the culture war and how she felt about those ads. She admits they were effective but calls them "dangerous."
- Track the court cases. The real battle isn't on TV; it's in the Supreme Court. There are cases right now about whether states can ban gender-affirming care for minors. That’s where the actual "they/them" policy will be decided.
- Ignore the "vibes." When you see a political ad that seems too simple to be true, it usually is. Dig into the specific laws or policies being mentioned.
The conversation around gender and politics isn't going away. It’s only getting louder. Staying sharp means knowing the difference between a campaign’s "nonsense" and the actual legal reality of the people living it.