Recommendations of the Editorial team
With “I Will Survive” and “Never Can Say Goodbye”, US soul singer Gloria Gaynor had two world hits that foamed the global disco wave from mid/late 1970s. Later, the up-lift tracks on signature songs of the gay and lesbian movement became in times of the AIDS crisis. To date, they are played on both the fun fair and at rather traditional parties of the CSD Pride parades. One of the numerous covers from “I Never Can Say Goodbye” includes the version of the UK formation Communards, the successor band from Bronski Beat about mastermind and gay-right activist Jimmy Sommerville.
Gloria Gaynor and the political turn
This musicological classification is important in this respect, since US President Trump was appointed head of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC at the beginning of 2025 and announced that Gloria Gaynor, of all things, will be one of the award winners (“Honors”) of the central US culture instute. An award that Trump had denied any candidate that he considered “to Woke” after his taste.
Long -time fans and companions had urged Gaynor to reject this award. Now various US media, including CNN or the POP platform Stereogum, report that a price boycott is hardly an option for Gaynor. Rather, she is a regular donor for the Maga movement of the Republicans.
Donations and political closeness
The “Midastouch” media network pointed out that the 81-year-old has donated several thousand dollars to republican politicians and the Pro Trump group “Pac Winred” since 2023. The Gaynor beneficiaries include conservatives to right-wing politicians such as Mike Johnson, Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Nikki Haley or Vivek Ramaswamy.
The big award ceremony will take place on December 7th in the Kennedy Center. Prices also go to the band Kiss, country singer George Strait, “Rambo”-and “Rocky” actor Sylvester Stallone and Broadway legend Michael Crawford, the star from “Phantom of the Opera”, the favorite musical from Trump.
The gala in the Kennedy Center
Trump, who was familiar with the Disco, who was familiar with the Disco Disco, will also moderate the state-bearing pop culture junction from his time in the New York celebrity scales “Studio 54”.
Accompanying comments also referred to the homophobic expressions of other ex-gay-and-lesbian icons (“queer” did not yet exist in their weddings); For example the swivel of the Village People (or the remains of the old “Ymca” team) or that of Donna Summer.
Political voices show that Trump is specifically “populist than highly cultural”. “And as always, Trump puts a trap of his political opponents,” analyzes CNN.
A cultural policy signal
Because who can say that “Rocky” stallone has not left any “indelible” traces in its art form? This is one of the official criteria for the selection of nominees in the Kennedy Center. And the tended tendencies there for decades from the field of popular arts, among presidents of both parties.
Any criticism of Trump’s selection as too “undemanding or unworthy” will underpin his saga to be an enemy of the highly wicked elites. His followers worship him anyway as the ultimate outsider, which he will once again demonstrate at the December Gala.