Playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein claimed he was banned from the Kennedy Center following President Donald Trump's takeover as its chair. He also alleged that his shows and plays were barred due to his sexual orientation. However, the irony of his assertions lies in the fact that Richard Grenell, who is openly gay, was appointed by Trump as the President of the Kennedy Center. Grenell is also the first openly gay U.S. Cabinet official. If Fierstein's claims were valid, it would imply that Grenell, too, would have lost his position.
“He attacks free speech, he attacks the free press, he attacks America’s allies, his only allegiance is to himself— the golden calf,” Fierstein said. “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.”
However, Grenell quickly fired back at Fierstein, denouncing his claim as a blatant lie and criticizing his misguided accusations.
“This is a total lie. Whoever told you this (because you obviously didn’t do your own research) should be fired from your team for purposefully making you look foolish,” he wrote on X.
Hey, @HarveyFierstein.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) March 18, 2025
This is a total lie. Whoever told you this (because you obviously didn’t do your own research) should be fired from your team for purposefully making you look foolish.
I, too, have been in the fight for equality for decades.
I’m the President of the… pic.twitter.com/IuLsyaQ7Ns
Grenell stirred controversy among leftist liberals when he called for greater "diversity and inclusion" at the Kennedy Center, following the booing of Vice President JD Vance during his appearance at a National Symphony Orchestra concert last week. Despite the left's portrayal of the Trump administration as anti-LGBTQ, Grenell expressed being "embarrassed" by the audience's behavior and stressed the importance of making the Kennedy Center a place where everyone feels welcome.
“As President, I take diversity and inclusion very seriously,” he wrote. “I have met with many of you, and I love that we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, agnostic, gay, straight, Black, white, Hispanic, and absolutely different,” Grenell.
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