Five Democratic senators joined forces with Jeffrey Seller to stage a gay pride concert on Monday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The concert was an act of protest against President Donald Trump’s recent takeover of the Kennedy Center.
Sen. John Hickenlooper, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen.Jacky Rosen, Sen. Brian Schatz, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren rented the Justice Forum for the 90-minute concert. The event featured “gay characters, gay culture, gay music, and gay pride.”
“What’s happening in the world is deeply concerning, but even in our darkest hours, we must continue to seek out the light,” Hickenlooper said. “The L.G.B.T.Q. Community has long embodied this resilience, maintaining joy and creativity in the face of adversity.”
Senators protest with Pride concert
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell commented on the event, stating, “The Kennedy Center has canceled no one; we welcome everyone who wants to celebrate the arts, including our compatriots on the other side of the political aisle.
We especially welcome artists and audience members who come to the Kennedy Center not for partisan political pranks but to experience excellence in the performing arts.”
The concert was produced by Jeffrey Seller, who described the event as “guerrilla theater.” “This is our way of reoccupying the Kennedy Center,” Seller said. “This is a form of saying, ‘We are here, we exist, and you can’t ignore us.’ This is a protest, and a political act.”
The event featured several Broadway artists as well as the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. Trump was elected chairman of the Kennedy Center in February, resulting in several changes to the board, which included appointing Grenell as president and interim executive director.
