"…especially you, Ric Grenell. I am not a fan of yours at all."
September 26, 2025 10:57 AM Subscribe

Multiple outlets (WaPo ungated, Washingtonian, The New Republic) are reporting what appears to be an attempt by gay conservatives to disrupt musician Yasmin Williams' (prev) September 18 show at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.

According to reports, following hostile emails from KenCen president, former U.S. ambassador to Germany, and former NeverTrumper Ric Grenell—the first openly gay Cabinet member, after being named acting director of national intelligence in the first Trump term—to Williams in response to her written questions about performing at the Center in the current environment, Andrew Minik, president of the Log Cabin Republicans of D.C., wrote to his organization's members, "The artist, liberal guitarist Yasmin Williams, will be giving a free performance prior to the meeting. She is apparently vocal opponent of President Trump and The Kennedy Center’s decision to hold a vigil for Charlie Kirk. Let’s make sure the audience is filled with patriots!”

Her performance was, reportedly, heckled for about 15 minutes by certain audience members. That notwithstanding, the livestream captures a powerful solo guitar performance by Williams, who is Black, that follows a pointed prelude featuring footage of Malcolm X, as well as her own comments on the situation.

posted by the sobsister (22 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite

(Relatedly, I might also recommend diving into Millennium Stage's archive of performances. Some excellent shows to be enjoyed, going back to 2016.)
posted by the sobsister at 11:03 AM on September 26 [4 favorites]

How gross. White gay male misogynoir.
posted by larrybob at 11:08 AM on September 26 [13 favorites]

DC person here - even though we all know it's the point of all this, it's hard to overstate how badly the KC's reputation has been damaged locally in the last 8 months. "I don't see myself going back there anytime soon" seems to be the ballpark standard reply when it comes up.

I think most of us had mixed feelings before - expensive, staid, etc. - but I've also seen some extraordinary performances there. At this point I really wonder if it's going to survive
posted by reedbird_hill at 11:19 AM on September 26 [9 favorites]

all right boys, i think it's time to invoke Plan Lysistrata
posted by mittens at 11:50 AM on September 26 [15 favorites]

Considering how much worse Reagan's denialism made the AIDS crisis, I’m a little shocked that Log Cabin Republicans can still exist.
posted by jamjam at 12:03 PM on September 26 [3 favorites]

I’m a little shocked that Log Cabin Republicans can still exist.

Race and wealth is a hell of a drug cocktail.

I’m still amazed at the video of Dave Rubin basically begging Ben Shapiro to acknowledge Rubin’s marriage and getting slapped down repeatedly, and wondering how this guy could not see that he was never going to be treated equally, and how he could go home to his husband after that with any shred of respect.

On the other hand, Ted Cruz joined up with Trump after the latter publicly humiliated Cruz’s wife and Vance seems unfazed by the hate directed at his family, so maybe an appreciation for humiliation is a core element of the conservative mind of any sexual attraction?
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:13 PM on September 26 [23 favorites]

What fucking shit smears. Absolutely fuck these people. I don't know why this particular thing gets to me today but absolutely fuck these losers to hell.
posted by latkes at 1:49 PM on September 26 [4 favorites]

reedbird_hill - why is the reputation bad for these shows lately?
posted by latkes at 1:51 PM on September 26

There’s an unbroken line of hypocrisy in fascist sexual ideology from Ernst Rohm to Grindr crashing at charlie Kirk’s memorial
posted by Jon_Evil at 1:53 PM on September 26 [5 favorites]

These people are repulsive and Yasmin Williams is awesome. But I'm continually baffled that gay republicans can actually hold such cognitive dissonance in their minds. Yes, there is $$$, but these people want to KILL you and your loved ones. Is the $$$ really worth it?

Given Netanyahu said that Hitler didn't want to kill Jews but a Palestinian persuaded him to (a statement so mind-boggling it beggars belief) I guess pretending that the people who want to kill you are your friends is the new hotness.....
posted by WatTylerJr at 2:01 PM on September 26 [5 favorites]

Netanyahu said that Hitler didn't want to kill Jews but a Palestinian persuaded him to

This was so WTF that I didn't believe it but then I found this news story.
posted by Slothrup at 2:54 PM on September 26 [11 favorites]

Qua Sartre, words are dead and all that remains is power.
posted by Slothrup at 2:57 PM on September 26 [7 favorites]

Netanyahu said that Hitler didn't want to kill Jews but a Palestinian persuaded him to

With this statement, Netanyahu has eliminated any remaining shreds of doubt that he is conducting a fully intentional genocide against the Palestinian people.
posted by jamjam at 3:30 PM on September 26 [9 favorites]

I know Grenell is a real piece of shit, but it sort of boggles my mind that someone tasked with running a venue would openly enable and encourage the harassment of artists in that venue.

He's given everyone who wants out of a Kennedy Center contract the perfect loophole: that Grenell cannot be trusted to behave professionally towards the artists he books.

Grenell likely doesn't care whether the Kennedy Center survives or not, but you'd think he'd care how it would look if it collapsed on his watch.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:29 PM on September 26 [3 favorites]

maybe an appreciation for humiliation is a core element of the conservative mind of any sexual attraction?

I mean, straight conservative men LOOOOOVE cuckold porn, especially when it's interracial, so, ya know, another data point.
posted by Saxon Kane at 4:49 PM on September 26 [4 favorites]

Netanyahu said that Hitler didn't want to kill Jews but a Palestinian persuaded him to

How the Nazis Were Inspired by Jim Crow

When the Nazis set out to legally disenfranchise and discriminate against Jewish citizens, they weren’t just coming up with ideas out of thin air. They closely studied the laws of another country. According to James Q. Whitman, author of Hitler’s American Model, that country was the United States.

“America in the early 20th century was the leading racist jurisdiction in the world,” says Whitman, who is a professor at Yale Law School. “Nazi lawyers, as a result, were interested in, looked very closely at, [and] were ultimately influenced by American race law.”

How American Racism Influenced Hitler

America’s knack for maintaining an air of robust innocence in the wake of mass death struck Hitler as an example to be emulated. He made frequent mention of the American West in the early months of the Soviet invasion.

posted by kirkaracha at 4:49 PM on September 26 [6 favorites]

Yeah, all these MAGA queens really need to google what happened to R?hm.

And if they like what the Trump gang is doing because they think trans people are "icky," they also really need to google what the Nazis did once they were finished with the trans people.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:06 PM on September 26 [6 favorites]

why is the reputation bad for these shows lately?

Not specific shows, and TBH, the feelings are as much fear / vibe based as anything else - it's just the deep stain and stink of Trump and the feeling that it is rapidly being transformed into a showplace for the official culture of vicious morons.
posted by reedbird_hill at 5:15 PM on September 26 [1 favorite]

Something something fruit of poisoned tree ?
posted by supermedusa at 5:33 PM on September 26 [1 favorite]

Netanyahu said that Hitler didn't want to kill Jews but a Palestinian persuaded him to

And all this time I thought it was Henry Ford.
posted by TedW at 5:39 PM on September 26 [1 favorite]

Williams is 100% awesome. This situation is 100% repugnant.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:41 PM on September 26 [7 favorites]

… but you'd think he'd care how it would look if it collapsed on his watch.

Nah. He’d get credit for the kill.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:00 AM on September 27

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"…especially you, Ric Grenell. I am not a fan of yours at all." September 26, 2025 10:57 AM Subscribe

"…especially you, Ric Grenell. I am not a fan of yours at all."
September 26, 2025 10:57 AM Subscribe