Jackie Evancho may have said yes to singing the national anthem at Donald J. Trump’s presidential inauguration, but, when it comes to his policies, she tells it like it is. This past Wednesday found the singer logged into her Twitter and speaking out against President Trump’s stance on transgender rights. Her tweet, which asked to meet with the president and discuss the issues, came shortly after the Department of Justice “withdrew Obama-era guidance on transgender bathroom use in public schools.”
. @realDonaldTrump u gave me the honor 2 sing at your inauguration. Pls give me & my sis the honor 2 meet with u 2 talk #transgender rghts ❤
— jackie evancho (@jackieevancho) February 23, 2017
Jackie’s sister Juliet is best known for her time on America’s Got Talent and came out as transgender in 2015. The sisters could not be happier for each other, and Jackie said Juliet “finally found herself, and she can be who she wants to be.”
Jackie also tweeted how she is “obviously disappointed” about the Trump team’s move to take away the progress of the Obama administration in regard to LGBTQ rights.
I am obviously disappointed in the @POTUS decision to send the #transgender bathroom issue to the states to decide. #sisterlove
— jackie evancho (@jackieevancho) February 22, 2017
According to Jackie’s interview with CNN, the decision has been hard on both sisters.
“When I heard the news I was just thinking about my sister and the things that she’s gone through, and the struggles that we’ve all had to deal with,” Jackie said. “Me watching her suffer like that is really hard to do.”
“In order to make a huge decision like that, you need people who live it every day. I feel like it was a little rushed and I feel like there wasn’t a lot of planning that went into it,” Juliet added.
While President Trump tweeted that Jackie’s record sales “skyrocketed” after he announced she would perform at his inauguration, she still faced some criticism. Some fans said her performing for the President-elect meant she agreed with his platform.
“[Fans] are upset for the wrong reasons. I’m not involved in politics,” Jackie said. “I’m doing this because it’s a privilege and an honor to perform for my country.”
Say what you want about her reasoning, but Jackie’s performance was amazing.