Michael Feinstein is the latest theater star to take a stand against the Trump administration’s takeover of the Kennedy Center.
In an essay titled ‘Fear of Queer?’ posted to Instagram, the 5x Grammy nominee called out the performing arts center for reportedly canceling its Pride Month programming.
“Recently, I was invited to conduct the National Symphony Orchestra, perform and speak at a program entitled ‘A Peacock Among Pigeons: Celebrating 50 Years of Pride’ at The Kennedy Center, which celebrated the rainbow of influences upon art, music and our entire culture,” he wrote in part in the post.
“This program was abruptly and unceremoniously canceled,” added Feinstein. “These recent Kennedy Center losses may well be defined in the years ahead, as the 21st century government-sanctioned censorship and silencing of creativity, regardless of value, based strictly on sexual orientation. Art, in its purest form, is where we suspend our differences to illuminate elements of the human condition.”
After the Trump administration terminated grants this month that fund PBS and NPR, Feinstein stressed “the fact that any government-supported access to the arts is no longer safe.”
“Since the current administration has banned, cancelled or forbidden, in an effort to erase any concert or program at the Kennedy Center, that in any way allows art to acknowledge existence of homosexuality (and these ‘cancellations’ do not acknowledge the disturbing, racist, misogynistic and other bigoted forms of censorship, which I find equally distressing, infuriating and indeed, despicable),” Feinstein continued. “The next logical step is to ban all works written by homosexual, bisexual, omnisexual, transsexual people, friends of gay people or people suspected of being queer. It worked for the Nazis right?”
Feinstein urged readers to “please take action” and write their senator, congressperson or the White House, also encouraging donations to The Trevor Project.
“Oh, and I hope they don’t forget to ban my upcoming show, ‘The Gay American Songbook’!” he concluded.
Deadline has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
Donald Trump visited the Kennedy Center in March, following his appointment as the Center’s new chairman after he ousted half the organization’s board members, who were nominated by Joe Biden.
Since Trump took over, Shonda Rhimes has resigned from the board of the Kennedy Center, and Issa Rae has canceled a show scheduled for the venue. Meanwhile, Trump has faced backlash from supporters of the Kennedy Center’s cancelled touring children’s musical Finn, the Gay Men’s Chorus of DC and International Pride Orchestra over scrapped performances.
Trump previously threatened to make the Kennedy Center “GREAT AGAIN,” announcing his plan in February to remove those “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” he added. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
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