Latest news with #JuneCrenshaw
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kennedy Center cancels LGBTQ+ Pride events, sparking backlash and broken ties
A slate of events celebrating LGBTQ+ communities at this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., has been quietly canceled by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, prompting public outcry and a severed partnership with the city's Capital Pride Alliance. The four-day series, titled Tapestry of Pride, was scheduled for early June and included performances by the International Pride Orchestra, drag story times and AIDS Memorial Quilt displays. Many of those events are now being relocated to alternate venues after organizers say communication with the Kennedy Center abruptly stopped following a major leadership overhaul. 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,' said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. 'We are finding another path to the celebration. But the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' The cancellations come in the wake of President Donald Trump's February takeover of the Kennedy Center's board. He dismissed long-standing leadership, installed loyalists — including Second Lady Usha Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino — and appointed himself chairman, promising to end 'woke' programming. Since then, over 20 performances have been scrapped, and artists say they've been stonewalled. 'They went from very eager to host to nothing,' he said. 'We have not since heard a word from anybody at the Kennedy Center, but that's not going to stop us.' Crenshaw said other events, including a drag story time and a display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, would be moved to the World Pride welcome center in Chinatown. Monica Alford, a veteran arts and culture journalist and event planner, was scheduled to organize an event on June 8 as part of Tapestry of Pride, but said she also saw communication abruptly end within days of Trump's takeover. 'We're doing our community a disservice — not just the queer community but the entire community,' she said. Washington-based musician Yasmin Williams recently posted a tense email exchange with interim director Richard Grenell, who accused artists of boycotting Republicans and dismissed diversity programs as 'DEI bullshit.' Many prominent artists, including 'Grey's Anatomy' creator Shonda Rhimes, 'Insecure' creator and star Issa Rae and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer Rhiannon Giddens, have distanced themselves from the Kennedy Center. Others, such as Oakland playwright Jonathan Spector and the San Francisco nonprofit International Pride Orchestra, also saw their scheduled performances abruptly scrapped. Former Kennedy Center Vice President Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who was fired last month, described a 'toxic' environment marked by 'moral injury' and a shrinking cultural vision. 'The Kennedy Center, like any other performing arts institution, thrives when artists feel safe,' he said. 'I would say that the general attitude, or the kind of general feeling, is one of vulnerability and impending violence within a landscape that is supposed to be a sanctuary for free thought and expression.'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LGBTQ+ Pride Events Canceled at Kennedy Center Amid Trump Turmoil, Organizers Seek ‘Other Avenues to Celebrate'
The Kennedy Center and organizers canceled a slew of Pride events celebrating LGTBQ+ rights during the WorldPride festival in Washington, D.C. this summer. The Associated Press reported Friday 'multiple' involved parties, including artists and producers, confirmed 'their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues.' 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,' June Crenshaw, deputy director of Washington's Capital Pride Alliance, which chose to disassociate its events from the Center, said. 'We are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' Representatives for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment. The events were part of a week-long Tapestry of Pride celebration, described on the center's website as 'a celebration of diversity and unity, weaving together performances, exhibitions, and experiences for all ages.' The decision to cancel the events comes weeks after Donald Trump fired several board members and named himself Chairman of the Kennedy Center. 'Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of Congress and their staffs—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Since our doors opened in 1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration. Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bi-partisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a non-partisan fashion,' the center said in a statement. Trump addressed the move on Truth Social, where he explained 'at my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN. I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.' 'Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,' Trump continued, in a crass attempt to link a drag show hosted at the center with pedophilia. '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!' The biennial World Pride event is set to run from May 17 to June 8. Celebrations are planned throughout D.C. The post LGBTQ+ Pride Events Canceled at Kennedy Center Amid Trump Turmoil, Organizers Seek 'Other Avenues to Celebrate' appeared first on TheWrap.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Kennedy Center events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration have been canceled, organizers say
WASHINGTON (AP) — Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington's Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center. 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,' said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. 'We are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' The Kennedy Center's website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details. The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request from the AP for comment.
Associated Press
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Kennedy Center events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration have been canceled, organizers say
WASHINGTON (AP) — Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington's Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center. 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,' said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. 'We are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' The Kennedy Center's website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details. The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request from the AP for comment.
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Kennedy Center events scheduled for LGBTQ+ pride celebration have been canceled, organizers say
Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washington's Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center. 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate,' said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. 'We are finding another path to the celebration … but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' The Kennedy Center's website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details.
