Trump Replaces DEI with CDE, ‘Conformity, Discrimination and Exclusion’
Delray Beach, FL — Truth Wins Out vehemently condemns President Donald Trump’s ban of shows by esteemed playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. This autocratic action is part of a broader initiative by the president to destroy the cultural landscape of the Kennedy Center, including the removal of board members and the imposition of a conservative programming agenda that bans drag performances.
“Donald Trump has replaced DEI with CDE—Conformity, Discrimination and Exclusion,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “This is a blatant act of cultural censorship that undermines the principles of artistic freedom and marginalizes the LGBTQ community by erasing our significant contributions to the arts.”
Harvey Fierstein’s illustrious career spans decades, with seminal works such as “Torch Song Trilogy” and “La Cage aux Folles” that have brought LGBT narratives to mainstream audiences. Besen remarked, “Silencing artists like Fierstein is akin to tearing pages out of our nation’s cultural history. We must fight with every fiber in our being to defeat this toxic cloud of darkness and sickness descending down upon America.”
The President’s self-appointment as chairman of the Kennedy Center and the subsequent overhaul of its board have sparked widespread backlash within the artistic community. Prominent figures such as actress and writer Issa Rae and television producer Shonda Rhimes have severed ties with the institution in protest. Rae canceled a sold-out show, citing an “infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds,” while Rhimes resigned from the board, emphasizing the necessity for artistic freedom.
On Instagram, Fierstein posted his reaction to being banned:
have written to ask how I feel about Trump’s takeover of The Kennedy Center. How do you think I feel? The shows I’ve written are now banned from being performed in our premiere American theater….
I have been in the struggle for our civil rights for more than 50 years only to watch them snatched away by a man who actually couldn’t care less. He does this stuff only to placate the religious right so they’ll look the other way as he savages our political system for his own glorification.
He attacks free speech.
He attacks the free press.
He attacks America’s allies.
His only allegiance is to himself – the golden calf.
My fellow Americans I warn you – this is NOT how it begins. This is how freedom ENDS! Trump may have declared “woke” as dead in America. We must prove him wrong.
WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!!
Besen pointed out that Trump is utilizing the sinister playbook often used by authoritarian regimes: “Throughout history, oppressive governments have sought to control artistic expression as a means to stifle dissent and maintain power. We must remain vigilant against such encroachments on our freedoms.”
Truth Wins Out is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to advance liberty and democracy, protect the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, combat religious extremism, and fight against the spread of disinformation.
For more information, please contact:
Email: Wayne Besen, wbesen@truthwinsout.org
