Donald Trump has announced his plan to purge the board of trustees at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and install himself as chairman. His goal? To erase drag from one of the nation’s most prestigious arts institutions.
On Truth Social, Trump ranted about “making the Kennedy Center GREAT AGAIN” and promised to end the drag performances occasionally hosted there. His message is clear: queer art is under attack.
The Kennedy Center, home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, is one of the busiest performing arts centers in the U.S., hosting over 2,000 events a year. While the institution has not yet received official word from the White House, some board members have already been terminated.
Queer artists and activists are fighting back. Blaq Dinamyte, president of Qommittee, a network of drag artists and allies, is calling this move what it is—censorship. “This is about who gets to exist in public spaces and whose stories get to be told on America’s stage.”
We’ve seen this before: book bans, drag bans, and anti-LGBTQ+ laws disguised as “family values.” But drag is joy. Drag is resistance. And queer art will not disappear.
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