Without a doubt, the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago was a star-studded event.
The four-night convention was attended by prominent politicians such as Pete Buttigieg, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as celebrities such as Pink, Oprah Winfrey and even Twink and a Redhead.
But on the final night, when Kamala Harris left the stage to thunderous applause and thousands of balloons, one guest appearance did not happen.
It’s politics, but let’s make it gay!
Stay awake with our briefing to stay informed about LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and everything else.
Yep, we’re talking about Beyonce and the girls are furious!
It all started on Thursday morning, when reports surfaced that a 30-minute opener had been added to the lineup followed by a big “surprise guest” appearance.
When the Harris campaign quickly adopted the Lemonade hit “Freedom” as its theme song, rumors began to spread that the song was by none other than Beyoncé.
Of course, things got worse when the convention’s house band was recorded rehearsing some of the singer’s songs and White House political director Amy Lewis cryptically tweeted a bee emoji, likely a reference to the Beyhive.
Yet things really picked up when TMZ exclusively reported that Beyoncé was performing around 8pm ET, just hours before Harris was due to take the stage.
The internet went crazy, gays tuned in, and social media went crazy… but Beyoncé’s publicist, Yvette Noelle Schuur, took to Instagram to deny the rumors.
“As we look forward to watching the VP’s historic speech from home,” she wrote. “Let’s stay focused on winning and registering to vote. Don’t spread rumors. Let’s stay focused.”
In the end, the ever-accurate gossip magazine returned to Twitter X with tails tucked between its legs and admitted it was “wrong this time.” Boo!
To quote the great Beyonce, “You have to lay your cards down… I got it wrong this time.”
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 23, 2024
Sources later told Deadline that the 30-minute gap was a “buy-time” measure to ensure the tournament finished on time.
That didn’t stop Gay Twitter X and Beyoncé fans from developing their own theories and memes.
Plus, if this was a ploy to get the LGBTQ+ community and Beyoncé fans to pay attention to Harris’ speech, we have to admit it worked.
There will be surprise guests to boost viewership, and rumors are circulating that Beyoncé will perform… The Democratic National Committee will give its spokespeople a raise
— Ryan Aguirre (@aguirreyan) August 23, 2024
Perhaps the real surprise guests were the friends we met along the way.
Still, there’s one person who doesn’t seem to be put off by the rumors of Beyoncé’s failure.
According to Rolling Stone, Donald Trump recently received a cease and desist letter from the Cowboy Carter singer after her song was used in a campaign video without his permission. LOL.
Check out some more funnier reactions to Beyoncé’s not-so-surprise appearance below.
Imagine going to a Beyonce concert and seeing Leon Panetta?
— Phil wins?? (@philipjonathn) August 23, 2024
Me: Beyoncé, you have to perform at a convention.
Beyonce: No, I want you to keep telling me about baseball players from the ’90s.
Me: Sure. Edgardo Alfonzo.
— Ben Rosen (@ben_rosen) August 23, 2024