Trump's War on Artists: A Peace Protest
- Tavish Forsyth
- Apr 4
- 8 min read
Updated: May 17
If you believe in peace and love -- if you value freedom -- please share this today.
On March 19 I uploaded a piece of protest art to YouTube. The protest was in response to Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center and ongoing attacks on human rights. The protest addressed violations of the first amendment. It addressed violence against people from all walks of life.
The protest contained nudity which was censored and non-sexual. The nudity was a satire of Trump’s attack on the clothes people choose to wear. It was also a strategy to get people to listen and respond. It worked...
The protest went viral on March 20. LA Times broke the story. Many news outlets covered it. I was immediately fired by the Kennedy Center and disavowed by the Trump administration.
Rather than responding to the words I spoke, the administration deployed a homophobic dog whistle, seemingly threatened by the fact that I work with young people, despite the fact that this administration has done more to hurt children and those children’s children than I ever could, would or will.
Fox News continued the administration's fear mongering and hate speech. They called me a “total lunatron," "groomer,” a “divisive,” “schizo,” “narcissistic,” “radical leftist.” They insinuated that I am corrupting the youth and that there are many LGBTQ people like me “embedded” in our society. (This is Nazi-level hate speech.) Soon after, I became the recipient of hateful messaging from across the internet.
Days later, I was fired by Johns Hopkins University, where I served as a faculty member since 2017, teaching communication skills, public speaking, and DEI.
On March 29, YouTube removed the video protest and deleted the channel on which it was published. YouTube claimed the video contained explicit content “meant to be sexually gratifying.” This was false. It was a severe mischaracterization of my work. I was angry and hurt because YouTube’s censorship is dangerous suppression of free speech and political discourse in a time of need. It was in violation of YouTube’s Community Guidelines which allow for nudity in artistic, political and documentary contexts. Unfortunately, this action halted traction on my protest, while giving a sense of legitimacy to hate speech. In effect, YouTube’s censorship is contributing to the erasure of communities crying for help and silencing voices demanding change.
I was not going to let YouTube stop me. I re-censored the video and uploaded it to a new account. Please watch and share.
Now, I am leaving the US in love (and fear) for my wellbeing. I am exercising an abundance of caution as I plan to continue speaking out against corruption and systems of violence. The truth is political suppression is escalating. We have already seen the Trump regime target our free press, legal system, schools and activist communities.
For now, I feel it is in my best interest to leave the US and re-assess my future from a safe distance. I plan to return, but first I need to view my country from the outside and make space for nervous system to rest.
I want to believe I'm over thinking this whole thing, but Trump's growing cruelty and political power merit grave concern. Trump has defied a unanimous decision from the Supreme Court. He has arrested judges who defy him and students who exercise their first amendment rights. He is deporting immigrants and US Citizens alike. He is literally sending people to a concentration camp in El Salvador, branding innocent people as "terrorists" without allowing them to stand trial.
Functionally, Trump has abolished due process and weaponized the presidency against the people. By his own admissions, his people-snatching operations will get worse. His targeting of marginalized communities and political opponents will get worse. His dismantling of our government’s checks and balances will get worse. The regime does not intend to stop, so I will not pretend like they will.
This is no longer about politics as we know it. This is about life and death, freedom and slavery, hope and fear. This is not simply rhetoric. It is not an over-reaction or an exaggeration.
Read my goodbye letter if you want to learn more about my rationale. In it, I include links to some of recent news stories informing my decision to leave.
Below, there is a poem I wrote for you. Further down, there are details about my motivations for protesting and the consequences I’ve faced. If you’d like to be in conversation with me, interview me, or invite me to speak, I will be available on a case-by-case basis.
I do not regret my decision to protest. I do not regret risking my life and my safety to defend human rights and the people I love.
To anyone reading this,
You are loved.
You are deserving.
In Truth,
I am hopeful.
But I am only hopeful
because I believe in you.
Yes, you.
Reading this. Hearing this.
I believe you will get involved.
I believe your love is greater than your fear.
(i.e. their fear)
Their fear is that you realize this.
I believe our love is an ocean Their hate is but a storm
calling the rain back home to the sea.
Watch closely. Listen deeply. Do not be silent.
It ain’t about voting.
Not about donating.
It’s about changing habits.
It is about committing
to do something different.
Today.
Right here.
Right now.
It’s about changing the material world,
not the digital, not the algorithm,
not the matrix.
Organize to help poor people. Organize to honor the land.
Organize to help queer people.
Organize to help immigrants.
Organize to help BIPOC folks.
Organize to educate, house, and feed.
Organize to promote peace
Organize for Peace.
Make art authentic
meaningful to you.
Defend free speech.
Do not give up hope.
Nothing is permanent.
The sun will rise again.
So…
Rest well.
Dream big.
Act up.
We are all born naked,
and when we die,
we take nothing with us,
leave behind all that we love.
All of our love, we give it back to the stars,
the stars that birthed us, to the people, to the planet
we gave birth to.
We give birth too,
me and you.
Friend,
Live free or die.
Death is not the worst of evils.
These revels are not yet ended.
This life but a dream may be,
and we, the players,
still stuff that dreams are made on
little lives rounded with a sleep.
Okay, then, in that case...
Rest well. Dream big. WAKE up to THE LOVE INSIDE you.
the life that awaits.
I will see you in the morning.
Smile. Say hello.
Ready to dance.
Ready to sing.
Ready for freedom.
Are you?
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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW w/ TAVISH "Call Me Poetry as Protest: Naked, Fired & Unapologetic"
PLEASE WATCH & SHARE
Amplify voices opposing bigotry and defending human rights.
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SUPPORT ME – I AM OUT OF A JOB 😊 CashApp | $tforsyth92 Venmo | @birdcityimprov PayPal | birdcityimprov@gmail.com YOUTUBE CENSORSHIP DOCUMENT
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE OF THE ORIGNAL, DELETED PROTEST VIDEO
"Trump's War on Artists | Should I Quit? | Kennedy Center Protest"
Click Here to View the Video
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT WAS I TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PROTEST?
Freedom begins with self expression, plain and simple. Trump is attacking our first amendment rights and therefore our freedom. Violence against marginalized communities has increased as a direct result of this administration's policies and rhetoric. Trump's attacks on drag performers and trans people are attacks on people I love and therefore me too. I am unapologetic in defending my family and protecting freedom for all. With this protest, I was trying to preserve first amendment rights and shine a light on the cruelty that this administration inflicts upon immigrants, queer people, indigenous people, and other ethnic groups.
WAS I OVER-REACTING? No. If a nationally funded theatre banned the observance of religious holidays, that would be unjust. If a nationally funded theatre instituted "whites only" water fountains, that would be unjust. It is equally unjust to illegalize DEI, ban drag performers, and eliminate so-called "woke" programming that gives voice to marginalized communities, regardless of race, class, gender, age or ability.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
WHY WAS I NAKED?
The nudity is a satirical critique of Trump's drag ban. All forms of clothing are in essence drag. As RuPaul iconically declares, "We're all born naked and the rest is drag."
Nudity has a long history of being used as a vehicle for protest art because it is wrongfully stigmatized. Therefore, nudity disrupts our sense of normal and invites people to listen, react, and reconsider.
Right now, it is imperative that we listen deeply, watch closely, and refuse to be silent amidst the rise fascism, hate, war, discrimination, and dehumanization.
DID I KNOW I WAS GOING TO GET FIRED?
Yes.
WHY NOT JUST QUIT?
I felt I had an opportunity to leverage my position at the Kennedy Center to protect myself, the people I love, and the people who are being targeted by this administration from continued violence and oppression. They deserve a loud voice that speaks truth to the forces of hate, bigotry, and injustice. I refuse to quietly enter a future where the people I love are in danger and without support. They are deserving of love and voice. They are worthy.
Further, I wanted other people, artists, activists, and educators ready to “be the change” to bear witness to my passion, grief and desperation in the hopes of inspiring them to resist, organize, practice mutual aid, and re-imagine ways of living and being.
Lastly, I wanted my friends and allies to witness the administration's bigoted response and take seriously the threat to our rights and safety. I want them to respond urgently to the rapid dismantling of our democracy and deterioration of our “free” society. I fully believe in the American creed that values "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
WERE THERE OTHER CONSEQUENCES?
I was fired from Johns Hopkins University one week after my protest. At JHU I served as a faculty in the Carey School of Business (2023-25), and previously the Whiting School of Engineering in the Center for Leadership Education (2017-2022). I taught communication skills, public speaking, and DEI. In addition to losing large portions of my income, I have been the recipient of homophobic bigotry from individuals and media outlets.
I am now living in poverty. If you’d like to support me financially, my CashApp is $tforsyth92 and my venmo is @birdcityimprov. Since my protest, I have had to take costly measures to keep myself safe. Don’t worry, I am okay and I will persevere.
WHAT ARE MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I will continue making cruelty-free art that speaks to my heart and that invites others to express their truths in the name of our collective joy, freedom, and dignity. I will also be taking time to rest, heal, and experience joy in the company of friends, family, and nature.
CAN WE NETWORK?
Yes. I will make myself available for conversation, interviews and speaking engagements on a case-by-case basis. If you know journalists, podcasters, content creators, influencers, artists, activists or educators who support freedom and equality, please reach out.
PATREON | (work in process)
CONTACT ME
Email: improvision3000@gmail.com
Website: www.birdcityimprov.com
FOLLOW ME
@tavish.forsyth
@birdcityimprov https://www.instagram.com/birdcityimprov/
ABOUT TAVISH Tavish (they/he) is a queer artist and practitioner of theatre for social change. They served as the associate artistic director at the Kennedy Center's Opera Institute, the creative director at Bird City Improv, and a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University. They work with inclusive communities and create access for people with marginalized identities. Through play, creativity, and storytelling, Tavish invites people to step into their authenticity and creative power.
TAVISH'S GOODBYE LETTER https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b5pHW9gyJQVLV63-OauhcNqyTvF_3ckAMYFHTkBnFWg/edit?usp=sharing
LA TIMES' NEWS BREAKING STORY
BALTIMORE BANNER'S POST-PROTEST STORY https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/arts/tavish-forsyth-kennedy-center-johns-hopkins-dei-VNQROSOGX5BEFMVPAMXOWLWDWI/
THE NEW YORKER Article https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-lede/the-trump-show-comes-to-the-kennedy-center
NBC INTERVIEW w/ TAVISH
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/president-trump-politics/kennedy-center-contractor-naked-protest-trump-takeover/3873976/ TRUMP FIRES the SOCIAL IMPACT TEAM at KENNEDY CENTER https://www.npr.org/2025/03/26/nx-s1-5340766/kennedy-center-lay-offs-social-impact-employees-trump
JON STEWART ON THE COST OF FREE SPEECH
STEPHEN COLBERT ON TRUMP's KENNEDY CENTER TAKEOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9hoP1TAbwc&t=111s
ABOUT the EARTH-JUSTICE-PEACE FLAG
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