A gay fitness instructor based in Pittsburgh, Cody Ditto, and his fiancé, Dennis, recently took a trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts, for the Labor Day weekend. Joined by their best friend, Mike, they wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Hoes for Harris," a playful show of support for Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming November elections.
The trio found the shirts online and decided to wear them during their time in Provincetown, a popular gay vacation spot. According to Ditto, the shirts were met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from fellow vacationers. “Everyone here loved the shirts. We were stopped about 50-60 times the day we wore them by people wanting photos and expressing support of the shirts and Kamala,” Ditto recounted.
However, Ditto’s positive experience in Provincetown drastically contrasted with the reaction he received online. When he posted a photo of the trio in their T-shirts on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), negative comments quickly sprung up. Critics accused them of promoting negative stereotypes and received comments varying from criticisms about promiscuity and political beliefs to more personal attacks.
Some of the negative online comments read:
“Way to support the idea that all gays are promiscuous and that all gays are somehow continuously brainwashed into believing that the left is on their team,” tweeted one user.
“I’m for Harris but this is beyond classless and honestly just ghetto,” commented another.
The backlash did not come as a complete surprise to Ditto, familiar as he is with the volatile nature of social media. “I’ve seen how innocent tweets or images can devolve into toxic cesspools, rapidly, so we were not surprised,” Ditto said via email to Queerty. He added that some of the worst comments involved derogatory references to HIV, AIDS, and Monkeypox, calling such attacks "the lowest form of bullying."
Ditto and Dennis, who are planning to marry next year, clarified misconceptions arising from the viral post. “Mike is our best friend. We are not a throuple. That was one of the many assumptions people made on the post, though, in an attempt to belittle and silence people like us, and we will not.”
Despite the backlash, Ditto remains an ardent supporter of Kamala Harris. He mentioned that while the campaign did not directly benefit from their purchase of the shirts, they have made several donations to Harris's campaign and will continue to do so. “This election has too many consequences for our country. We are not political advocates; we are everyday working gays, we pay our bills, own homes, take care of our dogs, and like to have fun on vacation,” he emphasized.
As the election approaches, Kamala Harris has seen increased support in polls. Since receiving an endorsement from President Joe Biden, Harris has experienced a surge in campaign donations and has narrowed the gap with former President Donald Trump. According to recent polls reported by The Hill, Harris maintains a slight lead over Trump, particularly in key swing states.