US

‘Child-Free By Choice’: Cat Lady Convention Goers Embrace Kamala Harris, Diss JD Vance

Flickr/Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith

Attendees at a cat convention in California showed their support for Vice President Kamala Harris while embracing being “childless cat” ladies, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance mocked Democratic women in a resurfaced video from 2021, referring to them as “childless cat ladies” during an interview on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” Apparel seen at CatCon in Pasadena over the weekend appeared to show support for Harris and make reference to the remark, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“You’re talking about me, this is who I am: I’m child-free by choice, I have cats by choice. It’s like he pointed a finger at me, and I didn’t appreciate it,” Shannon Peace, fitted with a “Childless Cat Ladies for Kamala” shirt, told the LA Times. “I’m someone who never misses a chance to vote, and I do have a stake in the future of this country, so I was very offended by it.”

Peace told the outlet that she received many compliments on her shirt throughout the day. Elsewhere in the convention, vendors sold shirts with phrases like “Childless Cat Lady Ready To Force My Misery On Conservatives” and “Kittens For Kamala,” according to photos of the event.

“I don’t understand people who have issues with pets, or cat ladies,” Dug Rusinek, a vendor, said, according to the LA Times. “Women shouldn’t be birthing machines.”

Rusinek added that conservatives who care about families should be more concerned over climate change, according to the outlet.

Vance defended his comments in a July interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, saying “it’s not a criticism of people who don’t have children. … This is about criticizing the Democratic Party for becoming anti-family and anti-child.”

Democrats have been attempting to use Vance’s comment to paint the candidate as “weird,” repeatedly using the word in reference to him.

Harris’ official campaign store has also jumped on the “cat lady” comment, selling shirts and mugs that read “Proud Member Of The Childless Cat Lady Club.”

“Frankly, ‘cat lady’ used negatively is sexist,” Susan Michals, the convention’s founder and organizer, told the LA Times. “It implies the opposite of a fulfilled woman, but this isn’t the 1900s anymore.”

CatCon attendees could be seen dressed with cat ears, tails and even full-body cat costumes throughout the venue, according to the LA Times.

CatCon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Featured Image Credit: Flickr/Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith