District of Columbia
Drag artists lead protest march to Kennedy Center
Queens and kings denounce Trump administration policies
Local drag artists and their supporters gathered for a march from Washington Circle to the Kennedy Center on Saturday to protest the Trump-Vance administration’s anti-transgender policies and the decisions made by the President Donald Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board of trustees.
The March for Drag began with a rally at Washington Circle near George Washington University.
One of the organizers of the March for Drag was drag king Lord Henry. The local performer addressed the gathered activists at Washington Circle.
“We demand that the Kennedy Center Board reinstate queer programming, including but not limited to drag-oriented workshops and shows and any other equity and DEI initiatives at the Kennedy Center,” Lord Henry said. “We want to force Congress to drop the multiple attempts at criminalizing gender non-conformity, including Trump’s executive order conflating sex and gender and the attack on drag artists through budget amendments, denying funds to organizations supporting and protecting this queer art form.”
“We care deeply about D.C. home rule,” Lord Henry concluded. “If home rule goes away, drag goes away in D.C.”
Other speakers at the event included the drag performers Crystal Edge, Indiana Bones, Cake Pop!, Tara Hoot, Mari Con Carne, Blaq Dinamyte, Mx.Noir, and Ricky Rosé.
“Drag is not just an invaluable form of self expression, but is a means of self discovery,” drag artist Brooke N Hymen told the crowd. “And not only are our livelihoods and artistry as drag artists under attack by the current administration, but the very existence of trans people as well.”
Brooke N Hymen, who identified himself as a trans man to the gathered protesters, continued discussing the effect of Trump’s policies on trans people.
“Beyond the executive orders meant to erase trans people from public life, Trump and his cronies want to define living in a trans body and expressing yourself in a way that aligns with your gender identity as ‘doing drag,'” Brooke N Hymen continued. “So, by attacking drag and attempts to outlaw drag on local and national levels, Trump is simultaneously attempting to outlaw trans people’s very existence.”
Sister Sybil of the D.C. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was slated to give a non-religious benediction before the march.
“This evening as we walk down the streets of our capital city, we are walking in the footsteps of our queer ancestors who fought tooth and nail for every right that we have ever attained,” Sister Sybil said.
“And now, one of our oldest and most sacred art forms, the art of drag, is again under attack,” Sister Sybil continued. “Our queer culture is now on the chopping block. And the only political party with any positioning to do anything about it has abandoned us: The Democratic Party.”
“But we have been here before,” Sister Sybil said. “Our culture and our community has never known a time without governmental targeting and neglect based on who we love, how we look, artistic expression, or even who we know ourselves to be, regardless of our birth certificate.”
“We must reclaim our community wisdom,” Sister Sybil told the crowd. “Our queer ancestors gave us tools to protest the indignities of heteronormative oppression. They gave us art, dance, disco, ballroom. They gave us drag as we know it. Most importantly, they gave us a love for our queer culture and a pride for being who we are. They loved and supported each other. They acted up. They organized, marched, lobbied, and tonight, after we are done marching, we must continue to do those things.”
Drag artist Mari Con Carne spoke at the rally in Washington Circle before the march. The local performer said, “As our queer ancestors have shouted out before, our community has always been here, we have always been queer, but they have yet to get used to it.”
“It is time we stop asking for their approval for our existence and it’s time we stop looking at ourselves as something to get used to,” Mari Con Carne continued.
“Our ancestors have always had to fight against a government that actively tries to erase us,” Mari Con Carne said to the gathered activists. “Think of the Stonewall riots, the AIDS epidemic protests and the queer liberation movement. Now it’s time to look up to them and see the fight for queer acknowledgment and acceptance only stopped because we wanted the system to get used to us.”
“It is now time for us to take our queer power and fight back,” Mari Con Carne concluded. “It is now time to defend our trans siblings and is now time that we stop wanting to get used to and begin fighting for acknowledgment and acceptance.”
The activists then marched down New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., chanting slogans and waving flags along the way. There was no police escort or presence in the march, yet activists were met with a small line of Kennedy Center security officers when they arrived near the front of the building.
The crowd stopped on the access road in front of the Kennedy Center and a second set of speeches began. A number of busses and cars attempting to access the venue were temporarily inconvenienced.
Cake Pop!, a well-known local drag performer and DJ, addressed the crowd gathered in front of the Center.
“The reprehensible leadership of Donald Trump and his supporters isn’t just about politics anymore,” Cake Pop! said. “It’s a full-on assault on free speech, on art and on self-expression. The takeover of the Kennedy Center is not just a political move, it’s a direct attack on every single artist, on queerness itself, and on anyone who dares to exist outside of his narrow, hateful vision of America.”
“We are living proof that no matter how much they try to erase us, silence us or shame us, we are still here,” Cake Pop! continued. “We are still fighting and we will not back down, because drag is a protest. Drag is resilience and drag is the very embodiment of joy in the face of oppression.”
Blaq Dinamyte, a drag king performer and president of the activist organization Qommittee, spoke in front of the Kennedy Center when addressing the gathered activists.
“What’s happening isn’t new,” Blaq Dinamyte said. “Throughout history, we’ve seen this before. The Nazi’s ban what they label as ‘degenerate art’ anything that didn’t fit their narrow vision of culture: Art that showed freedom, showed difference, complexity, all banned. Now it’s us.”
“When the government bans art from our national stage, they are not just attacking performers: They are attacking ideas,” Blaq Dinamyte continued. “They target drag because we are liberation. Our art makes a world where you can be who you are: Whoever that is. We are a threat to governments that would want to control how we live and express ourselves. Drag performers have always been at the front lines. Here in D.C., we’re seeing this play out on federal property. These bans hit our communities first, but they never stop with us.”
Following the march and rally, participants were invited to a dance party at the LGBTQ establishment As You Are.
“NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Feb. 10 as part of an announcement of his appointment of Richard Grenell to serve as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center.
Trump then announced on Feb. 12 on Truth Social that he had been “unanimously voted” Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center.
The Kennedy Center cancelled a performance of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington that was to be held in May.
See photos from the March for Drag here.
District of Columbia
SMYAL receives $25,000 award for ‘courageous acts’
D.C. group provides support services for LGBTQ youth
The D.C.-based organization SMYAL, which provides services for LGBTQ youth in the D.C. metro area, including housing for homeless LGBTQ youth, announced on June 30 that it received a $25,000 award for its “courageous acts” in support of the community it serves.
The award was a monetary grant from The Courage Project, which describes itself as a “national initiative investing in acts of courage and compassion that strengthens our communities and democracy.”
A statement on its website says it was launched in May 2025 and is funded and backed by leading national foundations in the U.S.
“At SMYAL, we are deeply grateful to receive support from The Courage Project and are inspired by their bold investment in LGBTQ+ youth at such a critical moment,” SMYAL CEO Erin Whelan said in a statement. “For queer and trans young people, simply showing up as themselves each day requires immense courage, and that courage is strengthened when organizations like The Courage Project stand behind them loudly, proudly, and without hesitation,” Whelan said.
In its statement announcing the award SMYAL says The Courage Project will recognize SMYAL and other awardees and their work on July 3 at the Washington National Cathedral as part of a special interfaith service marking the U.S. 250th anniversary.
“The Courage Project is a bold initiative honoring everyday acts of bravery – the quiet, often unseen acts of heroism that reflect the best of the American spirit and strengthen democracy at the community level,” the project states on its website.
District of Columbia
Longtime Blade staffer Stephen Rutgers steps down after 14 years
Plans to focus on running Crush Dance Bar, other ventures
Longtime Washington Blade employee Stephen Rutgers announced he is stepping down after 14 years to focus on other ventures, including his part ownership of the popular Crush Dance Bar.
Rutgers was hired by the Blade in 2012 to help plan Pride festivities and over the years was promoted to director of sales and marketing. In addition to his broad set of responsibilities, Rutgers planned the annual Pride on the Pier celebration at the Wharf, which has exploded in popularity over the seven years since its launch.
“Watching Pride on the Pier grow from a new community event into one of D.C.’s signature Pride celebrations has been incredibly rewarding,” Rutgers said. “Expanding Pride on the Pier into a two-day festival for WorldPride in 2025 was definitely a career highlight. Seeing thousands of people come together to celebrate our community while supporting the Blade’s mission is something I’ll always be proud of.”
Rutgers described his biggest challenge as navigating the changing media landscape.
“More than ever, we’ve had to remind our community that local journalism matters and that it needs their support,” he said.
He added that he’s most proud of helping to ensure the Washington Blade is positioned to thrive for the next 50 years.
“I was fortunate to be part of the Blade during its 50th anniversary — a milestone that reflects its incredible history and impact,” Rutgers said. “The Blade has been an important voice for the LGBTQ community for more than five decades, and knowing I played a small part in helping its future is most important to me.”
Blade Publisher Brian Pitts praised Rutgers for juggling multiple responsibilities.
“We wish Stephen all the best,” Pitts said. “For the past 14 years, Stephen has been a vital part of the Blade, handling many things — marketing and advertising, sponsorships, and Blade signature events. We will all miss him.”
Blade Editor Kevin Naff thanked Rutgers for his years of service to the community.
“After 14 years, it’s hard to imagine the Blade without Stephen and his boundless energy and creativity,” Naff said. “He’s one of the hardest working and most dedicated people I’ve ever known and he will be missed. But change is the only constant and I know Stephen will move on successfully to new challenges and the Blade will expand on Stephen’s important work.”
As for what’s next for Rutgers, he said he plans to focus on Crush as well as his real estate business.
“I’ve always been someone who likes to stay busy,” Rutgers said. “For the past 12 years, I’ve balanced my work at the Blade and in real estate. Two years ago when I opened Crush, I never realized just how much time and energy it would take. The passing of my father earlier this year also gave me a new perspective. It reminded me that life is short and that it’s important to make time for the people and experiences that matter most. Stepping away from the Blade will allow me to focus on those ventures while also creating more balance in my life. After 14 incredible years, it feels like the right time for a new chapter.”
Naff said that for now Rutgers’s responsibilities will be divided between existing staff along with several new freelance contractors.
“The Washington Blade plays a unique role in our community’s fight for equality,” Rutgers said. “It’s the only LGBTQ news organization with White House credentials, giving it direct access to the people and institutions shaping policies that affect our community. The Blade continues to hold elected officials accountable, report on the issues that matter most to LGBTQ people, and tell the stories that often go uncovered by mainstream media.
“The Blade has been my family for most of my adult life. For 14 years, it has been part of my daily routine, so it’s going to feel very strange waking up and not logging on each morning.”
District of Columbia
Nearly 6,000 turn out for Pride Night Out at the Nationals
Gay Men’s Chorus sings National Anthem
“Just shy of” 6,000 people purchased tickets for the Wednesday, June 24, 21st annual Pride Night Out at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, which the Nationals said is the longest running LGBTQ Pride event in Major League Baseball, according to a Nationals spokesperson.
The event was organized with the Nationals by Team D.C., the local LGBTQ sports group that organizes similar Pride Nights for other professional D.C. area sports teams.
“It was a good time had by all as the Nationals celebrated the LGBTQ+ community during the Nationals 21st Pride Night Out, presented by Team D.C.” the Nationals said in a statement.
Nationals spokesperson Erica George said the overall game attendance was 27,200.
Similar to recent past years, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington sung the National Anthem at the start of the game, drawing loud cheers from people throughout the stadium.
The Nationals lost the game to the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 5-4. Although most of the LGBTQ attendees of the event, held in the right-field mezzanine section of the stadium, were cheering for the Nationals, a sizeable number also cheered for the Phillies.
Miguel Ayala, one of Team D.C.’s lead organizers, said he noticed fans displaying Pride flags and recognized LGBTQ people in all parts of the stadium, indicating significantly more LGBTQ people and their supporters attended the game beyond the close to 6,000 or more who purchased the specific Pride Night Out tickets.
“It was a great excitement last night,” he told the Washington Blade on the day following the event. “I saw a lot of big crowds of our people, I saw everybody I can think of in the community. And it was really great to see the turnout.”
Also, like in previous years, Team D.C. along with the Nationals helped to organize a pre-game show on the large concourse platform area next to the stadium seating area involving a drag show led by local drag performer Shi-Queeta Lee.
“During pregame ceremonies, the Nationals Pride employee resource group was recognized on the field,” the statement released by the Nationals says. “Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a physician and public health leader who has had a profound impact on the LGBTQ+ community and those living with or vulnerable to HIV, threw out the ceremonial first pitch as the guest of Team D.C.,” the statement says.
It adds that Team D.C.’s scholarship recipient Spencer Doll made the ceremonial call to “Play Ball.”
As if all that were not enough, a Nationals employee who entertains during the Nationals pre-game shows on the field dressed as a giant eagle named “Screech” wearing an eagle’s head mask appeared in the seating area where the Pride Night Out crowd was seated and mingled with the LGBTQ fans, many of whom posed for photos with Screech.
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