Life

How Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, uses art to support trans people of color

She's using her art for good.
By
Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Ella Emhoff is seen wearing a Harris-Walz camo hat during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday's ceremonies.
Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Ella Emhoff is seen wearing a Harris-Walz camo hat during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday's ceremonies. Photo: Mark Hoffman, Mark Hoffman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Vice President and now Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is the proud stepmother to Ella and Cole Emhoff. The two are her husband’s, Doug Emhoff, children from a first marriage, who call Harris “Momala.” Emhoff and Harris married in 2014.

Ella Emhoff is famous for being Harris’ stepdaughter, but less known is known her activism and how she uses her art to help Black trans people.

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Emhoff’s website describes her as a “multi-disciplinary artist and creator who founded Soft Hands, Inc. in 2021 to explore opportunities in fashion, design, creative consulting, and hosting events.” She graduated from Parsons School of Design in Manhattan with a degree in Fine Arts.

Soft Hands is a knitting group Emhoff started as a way to teach people “how to knit and to hangout with other creative susty baddies” while learning.

In November 2021, Emhoff launched a knit pants raffle to support For The Gworls, a collective that curates parties to raise money for Black trans people. The money is used to help support the financial needs of Black trans people, from rental assistance to co-pays to expenses related to gender-affirming healthcare.

It was created by Asanni Armon, a queer artist who “sees the club as a safe haven for Black transgender people, and by extension, believes that it should be used as a tool to sustain Black trans livelihood.”

In an Instagram post, Emhoff wrote that “they are doing really beautiful work and are currently seeking more funds to help them shorten their assistance wait time.”

The fundraiser asked people to donate $10 to possibly win a pair of custom-made side-knit pants. 

Emhoff’s advocacy comes at a time in which there have been 527 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the United States in 2024 alone, according to the ACLU’s database, which tracks anti-equality bills across the country.

Emhoff is in Chicago this week at the Democratic National Convention supporting her stepmom as Harris continues her campaign to win the presidency and become the first female president of the United States. The potential first daughter posted a picture from the event on Instagram of herself holding two disposable cameras, saying that she was “doing some important behind the scenes reporting.”

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