WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — There’s massive pushback from D.C.’s queer and trans community after President Donald Trump made himself chairman of the board of the Kennedy Center.
Thursday night, dozens of people marched from Washington Circle to the Kennedy Center in protest of the takeover.
It has a lot of people in D.C. worried.
“When we restrict the arts we restrict the ability of people to fight back within the culture,” said Bennet Shoop, one of the protest organizers with Claudia Jones School for Political Education.
In the last week, President Trump said he “didn’t like what they were showing,” especially drag shows that he said were “specifically targeting youth.”
“We’re going to get some great professionals. I’m going to be chairman of it, and we’re going to make sure that it’s good and it’s not going to be woke,” Trump said Monday from the Oval Office.
“These attacks on drag are thinly veiled attacks on trans people, and they want to classify trans people living their authentic lives as them ‘doing drag’ so we really need to be here today, show up and stand up for trans and drag rights,” said drag queen Brooke.
Dozens of people chanted and danced in the street in front of the Kennedy Center.
Organizers said it was to show they’re not afraid to be queer, trans and celebrate drag performers.
Drag queen Tara Hoot even passed out flyers to become board chair.
“I just think it’s a riot. If any old yahoo can say they’re board president, and he said he had a unanimous vote, which he didn’t, because there were some abstentions in there, I mean why not me? I’m the people’s princess, darling. And the Kennedy Center’s for everyone,” Tara Hoot said.
The concern for many goes beyond drag.
“When despots try to take control they go for the arts. They go for culture. And when they do that, they’re attempting to sink their fascist teeth into the neck of democracy,” said John Borstel.
