Kennedy Center Cancels Pride Performances

The Trump administration cancelled performances at the Kennedy Center by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and the International Pride Orchestra. These cancellations follow Trump’s self-appointment as head of the Kennedy Center.

What’s up: Last week, the International Pride Orchestra announced that their invitation to perform at the Kennedy Center had been rescinded. The San Francisco-based orchestra is made up of queer and ally musicians from across the United States. Their rescinded invitation follows news that the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s show A Peacock Among Pigeons, based on an LGBTQ+ children’s book, has also been cancelled by the Kennedy Center.

Echoes of the past: The Trump administration’s decisions to censor or ban certain minority groups from performing music at the Kennedy Center echoes other right-wing government’s censorship of the arts around the world. A few years ago, the Hungarian government cancelled a performance of Billy Elliot after a newspaper columnist labelled it “gay propaganda.” In Poland, the Law and Justice (PiS) party previously cancelled LGBTQ+ shows for not adhering to conservative Catholic values.

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Sara Schabas

Sara Schabas is a Dora-nominated soprano, writer and yoga teacher. She has performed and created leading roles with companies including Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Dayton Opera, and Aspen Opera, and is a former member of Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium Young Artists. Currently based in Montreal, she is a doctoral student at McGill University — where she recently received the Wirth Vocal Prize — and editor of Art Song Canada magazine.