Drag artists march on the Kennedy Center; organizers frame the drag ban as an attack on transgender people

Other

Date
Actor
DMV Social Activist Collective (non-governmental); responsive to federal action
Type
Other
Section
SUPPLEMENT: THE KENNEDY CENTER TAKEOVER IS ABSENT FROM THE CULTURAL-INSTITUTIONS RECORD, THOUGH THE SMITHSONIAN, NEA, NEH, IMLS, AND NPS ACTIONS ARE ALL COVERED

Summary

A collective of Washington-area drag artists and allies marches from Washington Circle NW to the Kennedy Center to protest the takeover and the announced end of drag programming. Participants stated the linkage between the drag prohibition and transgender policy directly — "These attacks on drag are veiled attacks on trans people. This administration wants to label how trans people live their authentic lives as drag" (Brooke N. Hymen) — and "This president is demonizing a marginalized community in order to control the arts in America" (Tara Hoot). Included here because it documents the contemporaneous, on-the-ground understanding of the scope of the federal action.

Status

Event occurred; no change in Center policy resulted. Drag-artist organizing against the Center continued through the Qommittee donor petition in January 2026 (see 2026-01-07).

As recorded in the data of . Check the sources for anything newer.

Sources