At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter transformed her performance into a bold and unapologetic statement of support for transgender rights, captivating audiences and sparking widespread praise across social media and news outlets.

Performing her latest single Tears from her chart-topping album Man’s Best Friend, Carpenter took the stage at UBS Arena in New York alongside a dazzling cast of drag performers, including RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Denali, Willam, Symone, Laganja Estranja and Lexi Love, as well as Legendary host Dashaun Wesley and contestant Honey Balenciaga. The performance was a theatrical spectacle, featuring Carpenter emerging from a manhole, dancing through a city street set, and culminating in a dramatic rain-soaked finale.

Midway through the performance, Carpenter stepped into a phone booth, allowing the drag queens to take centre stage holding protest signs with slogans such as “In Trans We Trust,” “Protect Trans Rights,” “Support Local Drag,” and “Don’t Hate Drag Queens Because You Can’t Read”.

Carpenter’s message extended beyond the stage. During her acceptance speech for Best Album (for her 2024 release Short n’ Sweet), she paid tribute to her cast and dancers, saying: “This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity. So to get to be part of something that can bring you light, make you smile, make you dance… I’m so grateful. So grateful to do that.”

Beyond the VMAs, Carpenter has consistently demonstrated her commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy. Through her Short ‘N’ Sweet tour, she launched The Sabrina Carpenter Fund, which raised over $1 million for mental health, animal welfare, and LGBTQ+ organisations.

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Graham Robson
Graham Robson

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