The fallout from the hostile take over of the Kennedy Center but this time instead of a cancelled show, artists held a rally in protest.
A group of drag queens and kings, along with some allies, gathered in Washington Circle where drag king Lord Henry spoke saying, “we demand that the Kennedy Center Board reinstate queer programming, including but not limited to drag-oriented workshops and shows and any other equity and DEI initiatives at the Kennedy Center. We want to force Congress to drop the multiple attempts at criminalizing gender non-conformity, including Trump’s executive order conflating sex and gender and the attack on drag artists through budget amendments, denying funds to organizations supporting and protecting this queer art form.”
The group then walked the half mile to the Kennedy Center where they held a rally that included drag queen Tara Hoot. Unlike the man who took over the Kennedy Center, Hoot has not only been inside of the Center; but has performed there. She noted, “a man who hasn’t even stepped foot inside of there has no business deciding what art is or isn’t. How shameful, amoral, and weak it is for this president to demonize a marginalized population to attack a veteran arts institution. They are trying to take over the Kennedy Center to stop our stories from being heard, but we will never stop telling our stories. Because our stories are stories of love, stories of family, stories of overcoming, stories of joy, stories of hardship, and stories of redemption. Our queer stories are American stories.”
Other artists to speak at the rally were Blaq Dinamyte and Mx.Noir.
Among the performances that have been cancelled by the Kennedy Center since the takeover are the children’s musical “Finn”, the Gay Men’s Chorus with the National Symphony, the World Pride concert, “Eureka Day”,
Among the artists to cancel their shows are “Hamilton”, comedian Issa Rae, the rock band Low Cut Connie, and Grammy Award winning artist Rhiannon Giddens.
A petition is also being circulated by the advocacy group Qommittee which has obtained 40,000 signatures so far. The group is also calling for Kennedy Center donors to discontinue their donations until, “artistic independence is restored”.
At the March 8 event Qommittee president Blaq Dinamyte said, “they target drag because we are liberation. Our art makes a world where you can be who you are—whoever that is. We are a threat to governments that want to control how we live and express ourselves. Drag performers have always been at the front lines. Here in D.C., we’re seeing this play out on federal property. These bans hit our communities first, but they never stop with us. And to the donors and supporters who fund the Kennedy Center—your money is now funding censorship. If you stand for artistic freedom, stop writing checks to institutions that ban artists and start supporting those of us who’ve been silenced and pushed off stage!”