In an act of protest, five Senate Democrats are staging a Pride concert at the Kennedy Center on Monday night, turning the Trump-controlled venue into a platform for queer celebration and political defiance.
Dubbed “Love Is Love,” the concert will feature Broadway performers delivering songs, readings, and tributes to LGBTQ+ culture in front of an invited audience. It’s being organized by Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, with help from Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
“What’s happening in the world is deeply concerning, but even in our darkest hours, we must continue to seek out the light,” Hickenlooper told The New York Times. “The LGBTQ community has long embodied this resilience, maintaining joy and creativity in the face of adversity.”
To stage the event, the senators used a little-known congressional privilege that allows them to rent space at the Kennedy Center. But they didn’t pick the date by accident. June is Pride Month—something President Donald Trump has gone out of his way to ignore.
Trump has broken with recent presidential tradition by refusing to officially recognize Pride Month. Since his hijacking of the Kennedy Center, several LGBTQ+ organizations canceled appearances, saying the space no longer feels inclusive.
It’s not hard to see why: Trump has launched an unprecedented assault on the LGBTQ+ community, making anti-transgender attacks central to his presidency and teaming up with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship honoring the gay rights icon and Navy veteran.
Back in February, Trump purged the Kennedy Center’s bipartisan board, installed himself as chair, and appointed close ally Richard Grenell as its president. He declared the venue too “woke” and promised to usher in a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
Earlier in June, Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their wives attended a performance of the musical “Les Misérables”—a wildly tone-deaf move, considering the show’s revolutionary themes.
“We’re going to save the Kennedy Center. We’re going to make it incredible,” Trump said that night. “It’s got great sound. The bones are very good.”
Though Grenell insists the venue is still inclusive, it’s a hard claim to defend. In March, “Hamilton” lead producer Jeffrey Seller canceled an upcoming run of the musical at the center, saying he didn’t want the show’s profits funding Trump’s vision. Actor Issa Rae also pulled an event in protest.
Even the National Symphony Orchestra dropped a planned May performance featuring the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, although the Kennedy Center claimed it was for financial or scheduling reasons. That chorus is now slated to perform in Monday’s concert instead.
Hickenlooper reportedly reached out to Seller to help produce the event, asking if he was up for a little “guerrilla theatre.” And it seems like he’s gearing up to do just that. The Times reports that Seller is planning a 90-minute concert celebrating “gay characters, gay culture, gay music, and gay pride.”
“This is our way of reoccupying the Kennedy Center,” Seller told the Times. “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 is being directed by Seth Rudetsky and his husband, James Wesley Jackson, known for staging concerts tied to political causes. And while it may not single-handedly undo Trump’s grip on the arts, it sends a message: Democrats aren’t backing down—and they’re learning how to fight back with flair.
It’s about time. And they should keep going.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.
