VIDEO: Drag Artists March for LGBTQ+ Representation at Kennedy Center

NBC Washington reports that activists gathered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to protest what they call the exclusion and villainization of drag performances and LGBTQ+ representation in the arts. The March for Drag began in Washington Circle and ended at the Kennedy Center, where demonstrators rallied outside the venue’s main entrance.

The protest followed a statement by Donald Trump on Truth Social last month, in which he wrote, “No more drag shows or anti-American propaganda,” and called for a “golden age of American arts and culture.”

“When trans rights are under attack, what do we do?” one activist asked the crowd. “Stand up, fight back.”

“So by attacking drag and attempts to outlaw drag on local and national levels, Trump is simultaneously trying to outlaw trans people's very existence,” another protester said.

“Things are really scary right now,” one demonstrator added. “We will overcome it, obviously, but we have to stick together as a community.”

The protesters marched toward the Kennedy Center in response to Trump’s recent leadership overhaul at the venue, which included replacing the board of directors. The move has coincided with the cancellation of multiple productions by artists or producers, including Saigon Nights and Hamilton.

Outside the Kennedy Center, demonstrators listened to speakers and, at times, blocked traffic as evening performances took place inside. “Diversity makes the world go round,” one protester said.