Former Kennedy Center Employee Strips Naked to Protest Trump in Graphic Video
Tavish Forsyth, a “queer” contract employee at the Kennedy Center, was dismissed on Thursday after releasing a controversial YouTube video where he stripped nude in protest of changes made under President Donald Trump’s administration.
.@TavishForsyth, a leftist trans nonbinary activist who led a @WashNatOpera education division working with children at the Kennedy Center, has been fired after posting a disturbing video exposing his genitals to protest Trump. Read: https://t.co/mpuEropmYo
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) March 21, 2025
Forsyth, 32, who uses “they/them” pronouns, worked in the center’s education division, engaging with students. The video featured a 35-minute spoken-word poem, expressing dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s alleged efforts to ban drag performers from the center’s stages.
Forsyth began the video by discussing the changes at the Kennedy Center since Trump’s presidency, stating, “Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center and that’s a place where I work.”
He criticized the administration’s alleged stance against drag performers, reflecting on the saying, “We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag.” As the video progressed, Forsyth removed his clothes and sat naked, with a digital rainbow heart censoring his genitalia. He then asked, “Should I quit the Kennedy Center?”
In his monologue, Forsyth questioned whether remaining at the Kennedy Center would make him complicit in what he described as a “hostile government takeover.” He discussed how this regime allegedly targeted marginalized groups such as queer people, immigrants, people of color, and women, per the Post Millennial.
Forsyth pondered if staying at the center would allow him to hold the line for the institution’s values or if it would compromise his principles.
Forsyth also reflected on the possibility of staying in his position to protect the Kennedy Center’s commitment to diversity, creative freedom, and transformative storytelling, which he felt was increasingly at odds with Trump’s vision for America.
The video concluded with Forsyth asserting that he was challenging the center’s policies to preserve these values.
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, responded to the video, calling it “extremely disturbing,” particularly because Forsyth worked with minors.
Forsyth defended the video, arguing that it was a critique of the erosion of so-called diversity and inclusion policies at the center. The video’s provocative content, including Forsyth’s nudity, was designed to spark a conversation about the role of artists and citizens in opposing oppressive systems.
In an interview with the LA Times, Forsyth elaborated on his intentions, stating he hoped the video would inspire people to critically engage with oppressive institutions and systems of hate.
Forsyth also criticized the Trump administration for continuing to dismantle the Kennedy Center’s values of inclusion and social change, which he believed were being undermined by the new leadership.
Forsyth’s background includes expertise in using theater as a tool for social change, and he was part of a team overseeing the Washington National Opera’s summer training program for high school singers. The Kennedy Center’s website previously featured Forsyth’s biography, but it has since been removed.
Despite the backlash, Forsyth expressed his belief that the video was an act of resistance against what he viewed as a government that was eroding the values of the Kennedy Center. Forsyth’s video and subsequent firing have ignited debates on the role of art, activism, and the responsibilities of public institutions like the Kennedy Center.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Leave a Comment