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.

The Little Gay Pub, a popular D.C. gay bar located near Logan Circle, is one of seven business establishments that were burglarized in the early morning hours of March 6 by what appears to be the same two suspects, according to a statement released by D.C. police.

A police report for the Little Gay Pub burglary obtained by the Washington Blade says video surveillance footage shows “the suspects forced entry into the establishment through the side door.”

The report further states, “They proceeded to the office, where they took a safe containing $21,000. The suspects then rolled the safe out of the store and fled in an unknown direction.”

In a message posted on social media, Little Gay Pub stated, “Last night the Pub was burglarized. Our large safe and other valuables were stolen during a break-in in the early morning hours. We are all safe and sound and working with D.C. police. “

The D.C. police statement released on March 7 includes seven photos of the suspects obtained from surveillance cameras at the different establishments, but the suspects appear to be wearing masks.

“The Metropolitan Police Department is asking for the community’s assistance in identifying the suspects in multiple burglaries,” the statement says.

“On Thursday, March 6, 2025, in the early hours of the morning, MPD officers responded to seven establishments that had been burglarized by the suspects in Northwest and Northeast, D.C,” it says. “Once inside, the suspects took property from the establishments and fled the scene prior to the officers arriving.”

The statement lists the location of each of the establishments by block number rather than by address and does not identify the establishments by name.

It asks members of the community who may recognize the suspects or who may know something about the incidents to contact police at 202-727-9099 or to text a tip to the police tip line at 50411.   

The police report obtained by the Blade identifies the Little Gay Pub by name and shows its address at 1100 P St., N.W. The report says the incident is not listed as a hate crime.

Dito Sevilla, one of the Little Gay Pub’s co-owners, told the Blade the pub would have no further comment. 

According to a statement by the Metropolitan Police Department, the suspects were captured by several surveillance cameras at multiple offense locations and can been seen in the photos below:

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected]. 

Congratulations to David Park on becoming president of Learning Heroes, an organization that according to its website “partners with states, districts, and organizations to engage families as a strategy for advancing school and student success goals. Working closely with national and local partners, we lift up experiences of families and educators in communities throughout the country to catalyze the scale of research-based practices nationally.”

Park is a firm believer in the power of community to support a child’s learning and development. A proud public school alum, he is passionate about working with communities to prioritize education and opportunities for children and youth. For 10 years, he has played a pivotal role in Learning Heroes’ growth, with a specific focus on strategic partnerships and communications. Upon assuming the role of president, Park said, “Education happens everywhere – in schools, at home, and throughout the community. And yet too many children and youth, especially those from low-income families, don’t have that critical web of support they need to help discover and explore their passion and purpose. When families, schools, and communities come together on behalf of children, doors of opportunity open, allowing kids to succeed, thrive, and contribute to society. To me, there’s nothing more important.” 

In his continued work with Learning Heroes, Park will focus on organizational impact, overseeing operations, programming, and strategic direction. He has helped develop and lead Learning Heroes’ major public awareness and collective action initiatives, including the Go Beyond Grades campaign, which has reached 30 million people nationwide, and the Collective Action Coalition for Families. 

Prior to joining Learning Heroes, Park served as Vice President of Mission Advancement for America’s Promise Alliance, where he launched the GradNation campaign, which drove historic gains in high school graduation rates. He also held senior roles at global communications firms, including Ogilvy Public Relations, and Porter Novelli. He taught communications at Georgetown University, and has been featured on MSNBC, in the Huffington Post, and quoted in many local dailies and education trade outlets. Throughout his career, Park has also worked closely with the LGBTQ+ community, including with GLSEN, PFLAG, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Matthew Shepard Foundation, and Whitman-Walker. 

Park earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from American University. He lives with his husband Clarence Pineda (a Realtor with Compass Real Estate) and their rescue dog Violet in D.C. and Rehoboth Beach, Del.