Vagenesis, Tara Hoot, Ricky Rosé, and Mari Con Carne at the Kennedy Center – Photo: Tara Hoot, via Facebook
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were upstaged by a gaggle of drag queens at the Kennedy Center Opera House during a performance of the French Revolution-set hit musical Les Misérables on Wednesday, June 11.
The couple’s appearance — Trump’s first of the term at the historic venue — coincided with a special fundraising night aimed at supporting the reportedly financially struggling arts institution.
According to the The Washington Post, ticket sales have slumped following Trump’s takeover of the storied institution, long considered a cornerstone of D.C.’s theater scene. Subscriptions for the upcoming season are down by $1.6 million — roughly 36% — compared to last year.
In February, as part of his takeover of the Kennedy Center, Trump ousted all board members appointed by President Joe Biden, along with longtime chairman David Rubenstein, a George W. Bush appointee. The newly installed board — filled with Trump loyalists — promptly named Trump chairman and voted to fire longtime Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter, replacing her with gay Trump ally Richard Grenell.
As justification for the takeover, Trump cited shows that had taken place at the arts center featuring drag performances, which he claimed on his Truth Social platform were “targeting our youth.”
(Ironically, at least three of the musicals announced for the upcoming theater season incorporate drag in significant ways, including Mrs. Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, and Chicago the Musical.)
As part of the fundraiser, which saw the arts center decked out like a Hollywood red carpet event, some attendees were offered the chance to pay $2 million to sit in a performance box, attend a VIP reception, and take a photo with Trump.
The event reportedly raised a total of $10 million, according to the Post.
The Kennedy Center audience for the evening was a veritable “Who’s Who” of Trump-world insiders and right-wing celebrities.
Among those in attendance were Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha; Attorney General Pam Bondi; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas); CPAC President Matt Schlapp; former Trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway; and far-right provocateur Laura Loomer.
But a group of unexpected — and likely unwelcome — guests, at least from the Trump administration’s perspective, made a show-stopping entrance.
According to The Advocate, four drag performers — Tara Hoot, Ricky Rosé, Vagenesis, and Mari Con Carne — arrived in brightly colored dresses and were met with roaring applause and cheers from fellow audience members as they took their seats.
The drag performers received their tickets from Kennedy Center season ticket holders, who donated them through Qommittee, a national advocacy network of drag artists and allies. The group had launched a petition urging donors to suspend contributions to the Kennedy Center “until artistic independence is restored” and instead redirect funds to “banned or censored artists, artforms, and the infrastructure that supports artistic freedom.”
“As someone who has had the distinct honor of sharing their artistic expression in the form of drag at the Kennedy Center more than once, it was an honor to support the cast of Les Misérables on their incredible opening night and take up space, despite this administration’s attempt to erase us, especially after drawing a much more welcoming response than they did upon arrival,” Rosé told the Advocate.
Indeed, Trump’s reception was much more mixed.
As he and the First Lady took their seats in the president’s box, boos erupted from the crowd before pro-Trump attendees began trying to cover the jeers with chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”
Before the second act began, someone shouted an expletive about the president — prompting his loyal followers and allies to once again try to drown it out with cheers.
Also looming over the evening was the question of whether cast members of Les Mis would sit out the show. According to CNN, about a dozen performers were planning not to take the stage on Wednesday night. Rumors of an actors’ boycott had previously angered Grenell, who told The New York Times last month that the actors who didn’t perform should be publicly identified and shamed, and even barred from being hired by producers for future roles for their “unprofessional” behavior.
Looming over the evening was the question of whether members of the Les Misérables cast would refuse to perform.
According to CNN, about a dozen actors were planning to sit out Wednesday night’s show. Rumors of a potential boycott had already drawn ire from Richard Grenell, who told The New York Times last month that any actors who chose not to perform should be publicly identified, shamed, and blacklisted from future productions for their “unprofessional” behavior.
While it’s unclear how many actors ultimately boycotted Wednesday’s performance, the rumors were too significant to ignore. Even Tara Hoot, one of the drag queens in attendance, quipped upon arriving at the Center, “I can’t wait to see all these understudies!”
Trump, however, brushed off concerns about a potential boycott.
“I couldn’t care less. All I do is run the country well,” he told the press.
He then launched into a familiar boastful refrain, taking liberties with the truth as he declared, “There’s no inflation. People are happy. People are wealthy. The country is getting back to strength again. That’s what I care about.”
Trump also reiterated his plans to reshape the Kennedy Center’s programming and push forward with renovations.
“We want to bring it back better than ever,” he said. “As you know, it needs a little help from the standpoint of age and fitness, but it’s going to be fantastic.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched an investigation into Seattle Children's Hospital over its alleged provision of gender-affirming care to transgender minors, a practice the Trump administration has aggressively sought to end.
In a post on X, the HHS official account said the hospital had been referred to the Office of the Inspector General for "failure to meet professional recognized standards of health care" under a declaration issued on December 18 by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., according to The Hill.
For the first time in Salt Lake City’s history, a majority of the seven-member council is made up of out LGBTQ members, following last year’s municipal elections that produced a notably diverse governing body.
Erika Carlsen, a gay Latina, was elected to represent District 5, which includes Ballpark, Central Ninth, East Liberty Park, and Liberty Wells. Voters also reelected District 3’s Chris Wharton, who represents Capitol Hill, the Avenues, and City Creek Canyon.
Other LGBTQ members include Alejandro Puy, a gay Latino who represents District 2, which includes parts of downtown as well as Fairpark, Poplar Grove, and Glendale, and Eva Lopez Chavez, a gay Latina and the first Mexican American elected to the council, who represents District 4, covering parts of downtown, Central City, and East Central.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the first out gay leader of the Israeli parliament, angered the ultra-Orthodox parties within the conservative Likud-led governing coalition after voting in favor of a civil marriage bill last week.
The proposed bill, which was ultimately defeated, was introduced by the centrist Yesh Atid party, the largest faction in the opposition. It would have established a legal framework for regulating same-sex partnerships in Israel, including a couples registry, eligibility requirements, registration procedures, and mechanisms for dissolving civil marriages.
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