CNN’s Chris Cuomo apologizes after response to Kamala Harris at LGBTQ town hall

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo apologized after joking to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) that his pronouns were also “she, her and hers” at CNN’s LGBTQ town hall on Thursday night.

Cuomo made the remark after the White House hopeful took the stage late Thursday. She said her pronouns “are she, her and hers,” which Cuomo repeated and said “mine too.”

“All right,” Harris responded.

KAMALA HARRIS: My pronouns are she, her and hers.

CHRIS CUOMO: Mine, too.

HARRIS: Alright. pic.twitter.com/09gJ2pygjd

— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) October 11, 2019

Cuomo later apologized after backlash surfaced online to his comment.

{mosads}“PLEASE READ: When Sen. Harris said her pronouns were she her and her’s, I said mine too. I should not have. I apologize,” Cuomo tweeted.

“I am an ally of the LGBTQ community, and I am sorry because I am committed to helping us achieve equality. Thank you for watching our townhall,” he added.

PLEASE READ: When Sen. Harris said her pronouns were she her and her’s, I said mine too. I should not have. I apologize. I am an ally of the LGBTQ community, and I am sorry because I am committed to helping us achieve equality. Thank you for watching our townhall.

— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) October 11, 2019

Cuomo’s initial comments had drawn backlash on social media, with GLAAD calling them “disappointing.” 

Kamala Harris declared her pronouns on such a major stage and she should be applauded but instead it was so disappointing for Chris Cuomo to mock it in that moment. #EqualityTownHall #PowerOfOurPride

— GLAAD (@glaad) October 11, 2019

Charlotte Clymer, the press secretary for rapid response at the Human Rights Campaign, also criticized Cuomo’s response, saying it “was really not a great look.”

I think Chris Cuomo was going for what I’m sure he thought was a harmless joke and I don’t think he intended harm, but that was really not a great look.#EqualityTownHall

— Charlotte Clymer️‍ (@cmclymer) October 11, 2019

She later tweeted that Cuomo “has a great heart” and called his response “a failure to understand how much trans and non-binary people struggle to have our authentic pronouns taken seriously.” 

Chris Cuomo has a great heart. I think this is just a failure to understand how much trans and non-binary people struggle to have our authentic pronouns taken seriously.

That’s why it’s an issue. It’s the lack of respect for that reality.#EqualityTownHall

— Charlotte Clymer️‍ (@cmclymer) October 11, 2019

Other Twitter users were quick to also call out the CNN anchor.

Chris Cuomo just mocked Sen. Kamala Harris saying her pronouns by responding “mine too” and the gasp I let out.

Not. Okay.

— Zach Stafford (@ZachStafford) October 11, 2019

Chris Cuomo just made a joke about preferred pronouns? While hosting a town hall on LGBTQ issues?

— Kevin Maisto (@kevinmaisto) October 11, 2019

Kamala: My pronouns are she/her/hers by the way.

Cuomo: Yeah, mine too.

UNACCEPTABLE.

— Blair Imani (@BlairImani) October 11, 2019