Broadway Stars And Lawmakers Prove Love Is Still Love At Kennedy Center’s Pride Event
Broadway stars and five U.S. senators joined forces for a powerful Pride protest concert at the Kennedy Center after Trump shut down the originally planned event.
On June 23, a powerful group of Broadway artists, Democrats, and queer performers staged “Love Is Love,” a Pride protest concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., standing against the venue’s recent political shift under President Trump’s leadership.
Recently, Trump shut down the Center’s regularly scheduled Pride concert. So Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller (Hamilton) and five Democratic senators—John Hickenlooper (CO), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Jacky Rosen (NV), Brian Schatz (HI), and Elizabeth Warren (MA)—took matters into their own hands. The invitation-only event took place in the 144-seat Justice Hall inside the Kennedy Center’s Reach extension. Senators used their congressional privilege to secure the space, deliberately not disclosing the event’s purpose to the Kennedy Center administration, a maneuver used to prevent potential resistance from the venue.
“This is our way of reoccupying the Kennedy Center,” Mr. Seller said in a statement. “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 quote landed as both rallying cry and moral compass for an evening designed to celebrate queer artistry.
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The 90-minute lineup honored LGBTQ+ culture through Broadway songs and spoken-word selections. Among the performers were John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Lisa Kron (Fun Home), Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt), Beth Malone (Fun Home), Andrew Lippa (I Am Harvey Milk), Jelani Remy (Back to the Future: The Musical), Hennessy Winkler, Alexis Michelle, Dylan Toms, Javier Muñoz, Kathryn Gallagher, and Brandi Chavonne Massey. The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., whose concert with the National Symphony Orchestra had been canceled earlier this year under the Kennedy Center’s restructured leadership, joined the stage as well.
Earlier this year, President Trump appointed Richard Grenell to lead the Kennedy Center’s board. His installation prompted the swift removal of several Democratic trustees and a wave of anti-“woke” rhetoric from the administration, public attacks on drag performances and queer-inclusive programming. In response, several major artists and productions: Hamilton, Eureka Day, Finn, and the Gay Men’s Chorus, all voluntarily withdrew from their scheduled appearances at the Center.
“Love Is Love” reclaimed a venue that, for decades, has stood as a beacon of the arts. By aligning artistry with congressional power, the five Democratic senators demonstrated the kind of bold political teamwork rarely seen in the arts. Their collaboration with LGBTQ+ creators and performers sent a strong message of inclusion. In staging “Love Is Love,” the artists and lawmakers behind the event delivered a moving reminder that Pride is, and has always been, a protest. And sometimes that comes in the form of a song.
