Sabrina Carpenter at the MTV VMAs 2025: a major musical and political performance

At the MTV VMAs 2025, Sabrina Carpenter turned her performance into a manifesto for trans rights. A necessary stance, at a time when the United States is experiencing a worrying decline in freedoms.

On Sunday September 7, 2025, Sabrina Carpenter made her mark on the MTV VMAs with a performance that was as artistic as it was political. Winner of three awards, including Best Pop Artist and Best Pop Album for Short’n’Sweet, she defended her latest track Tears on theUBS Arena stage in a retro urban setting inspired by New York.

But beyond the Madonna or Britney Spears-like set design, the artist delivered a powerful message: surrounded by drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, she paraded a series of explicit slogans on stage, such as “Support local drag” or “Protect trans rights”.

A direct response to the Trump administration

This performance takes on its full meaning in a particularly tense American context. President Donald Trump, barely reinstalled in the White House, has launched a series of anti-trans decrees: exclusion of trans people from the army, a ban on women’s sports, a freeze on gender reassignment… Measures described as discriminatory and brutal by the ACLU, which has filed a class action lawsuit against the government.

In the face of these attacks, Sabrina Carpenter counters with art, dance, music… and visibility. By inviting figures such as Honey Balenciaga and Dashaun Wesley, she highlights the richness of ballroom culture and the importance of queer representation in mainstream entertainment.

When pop becomes a tool for emancipation

In his acceptance speech, Carpenter thanked “his drag queens”, asserting that art can stillbring light and make people smile, even in a world riven by hatred and exclusion. A message hailed by many celebrities and widely relayed on social networks.

A very real echo in Paris

In Paris, where LGBTQIA+ rights remain a daily struggle, this performance was seen as a form of cultural resistance. In a capital where fashion, music and the queer scene are intimately linked, Carpenter’s statement resonated strongly. It is a reminder of the political role played by pop artists, particularly in cultural metropolises such as Paris, New York and London.

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