A now former Kennedy Center contract worker used nudity to express outrage at President Donald Trump’s takeover.
“I may be out of a job, but I’m not out of hope,” Tavish Forsythe said.
Forsythe is artistic director of Bird City Improv, which teaches improvisation for social change. Until Thursday, he was also a program director — a contract employee at the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera Institute, a summer program for aspiring high school opera singers.
He loved the job, but he began to fear for drag performers and LGBTQ performers after the Trump administration took over the Kennedy Center board.
We've got the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
Forsythe’s 35-minute-long naked protest video posted to X (a censored version was posted on YouTube) contained passion and some profanity.
"When drag performers are under attack, trans people are under attack, because they share a common oppression, and that common oppression is, 'You are not allowed to dress this way. You are not allowed to act this way. You are not allowed to experience joy, pleasure and ease in the way that feels authentic to you,'" Forsythe said.
The Kennedy Center posted a response: “Yesterday, we were made aware of an extremely disturbing video created by an independent contractor associated with a Kennedy Center education program. This video and individual do not represent our values and have violated our code of conduct, which all staff and contractors agree to follow.”
That post came the same day a post from the Kennedy Center appeared on Instagram saying, “Whatever your scene, everyone is welcome at the Kennedy Center.”
Almost 1,000 people commented negatively.
“They’re attempting to divide the American people — Donald Trump — and using the Kennedy Center as that wedge,” drag artist and producer MasVusi said.
Forsythe said the call from the Kennedy Center saying he was fired came a few hours after the video was posted to X.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
