Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Several LGBTQ+ Pride events initially scheduled at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of Washington, D.C.’s World Pride celebrations in May and June have been relocated. These changes affect a variety of activities, including musical performances, storytelling events and art exhibitions.
Relocated Pride Events
The changes impact events such as:
- An International Pride Orchestra concert
- A drag story hour
- Pride-themed art exhibits, including displays from the AIDS Memorial Quilt
Circumstances Behind the Relocation
According to event organizers, some events were moved after the Kennedy Center indicated it would not proceed with contracts to host them. Other events were proactively relocated after President Donald Trump dismissed several members of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees in February and appointed himself chairman.
Trump’s Statement and Impact
President Trump stated on Truth Social that the Kennedy Center featured “Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth,” and declared, “THIS WILL STOP.”
Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, a key organizer of World Pride, interpreted this statement as a clear sign to move planned gatherings from the Kennedy Center.
Bos told NBC News that the Kennedy Center “has been a safe haven for our communities from the dawn of time,” adding that Trump’s message “goes counter to what pride is about.”
New Venues for Pride Events
The Capital Pride Alliance’s programming will now occur at its World Pride Welcome Center in downtown Washington.
The International Pride Orchestra’s Pride Celebration concert is now scheduled to take place at Strathmore, a concert hall located in Bethesda, Maryland.
Orchestra leaders reportedly received an email on February 12, shortly after Trump’s announcement, informing them that they would not be performing at the Kennedy Center. The email stated, “We are not in a position at this time to advance a contract,” according to a press release from the International Pride Orchestra.
In the same month, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and the National Symphony Orchestra were also informed that their planned May event at the Kennedy Center would not proceed.
Reactions to the Changes
Michael Roest, the founding artistic director of the International Pride Orchestra, expressed that orchestra members were “heartbroken” upon learning they could not perform at the Kennedy Center during World Pride.
He also thanked Strathmore for hosting the concert, noting that “Their willingness to host our Pride Celebration Concert ensures that our message of love, pride, and resilience will be heard on the doorstep of the nation’s capital.”
Capital Pride’s Bos echoed Roest, emphasizing the importance of moving forward with World Pride plans, particularly in Washington, D.C., as the city marks 50 years of hosting annual Pride celebrations.
“World Pride is not canceled,” Bos affirmed. “Every year World Pride is important, but this year there’s a very strong historic moment that we must meet … to ensure our community is not scared back into the closet.”