The Rhode Island state senator who went viral after tweeting a video of herself twerking in a bikini on the 4th of July has no qualms and would do it again.
Sen. Tiara Mack, a first-term Democrat, drew outrage after sharing an 8-second video of herself twerking upside down in a handstand on the beach on her official TikTok profile.
Her TikTok account was also briefly banned, and she got death threats as a result of her posting.
But the backlash from the video hasn’t stopped Mack, who told WPRI that she’s utilized the emotions to spark significant debate.
“It’s been so exciting and fascinating to dive into these conversations with people and to really challenge their thinking,” the 28-year-old lawmaker said in an interview with WPRI politics editor Ted Nesi.
Mack went on to say that she was simply being herself, a young black gay lady on her day off.
“I’ve struggled with the idea that in order to be respected, I have to be fully clothed and buttoned up and I have to be performing in a way that is inauthentic to myself,” she told WPRI.
Mack, who was elected in 2020 and is campaigning for re-election, described opponents of her video as racists and misogynists, and claimed her TikTok post was typical for a young person.
“My behavior on my Twitter, Instagram and TikTok are consistent with a young millennial who is in office and challenging norms,” she told the Associated Press. “I’m showing that leadership looks different and welcoming people into the many different facets of my life.”
The video in question, which Mack shot on Block Island and concluded with an emphatic “Vote Senator Mack!” has received over 220,000 views.
However, other people thought it was inappropriate for a senator to share it, and Republicans in Rhode Island and throughout the country leapt at the chance to exploit the video to attack the left.
She has recently launched a “#twerkfor” campaign to promote her ideals.
