TL;DR
- Donald Trump seized control of the Kennedy Center Honors and hand-picked the honorees.
- Gloria Gaynor, best known for “I Will Survive,” is on the list.
- Ana Navarro is begging her not to accept, citing Trump’s anti-LGBTQ record.
- Gaynor’s allyship has long been questioned due to her religious statements.
- The LGBTQ community feels conflicted: anthem icon, but shaky support.
Gloria Gaynor’s Gay Anthem Caught in Trump’s Spotlight
Donald Trump is turning the Kennedy Center Honors into his latest power prop, and he’s dragging Gloria Gaynor along for the ride. The ex-president took over the Kennedy Center board earlier this year, slapping himself into the chairman’s seat and bragging about purging so-called “woke” honorees. His debut list of recipients features George Strait, Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, KISS—and the queen of disco resilience herself, Gloria Gaynor.
On paper, Gaynor shines brighter than sequins on a drag queen at Pride. Her 1978 hit “I Will Survive” became the ultimate gay anthem—played in clubs, sung at marches, and belted by every queer heart that’s ever needed to push through a storm. But now, her name is tangled in Trump’s mess, and not everyone is clapping.
Navarro vs. Gaynor
“The View” firebrand Ana Navarro isn’t mincing words. Posting on Instagram, Navarro recalled how she once wore out a Gloria Gaynor keychain blasting “I Will Survive” through Trump’s first term. But when she saw Gaynor smiling on Trump’s honoree list, Navarro’s disco ball cracked.
“Gloria is a goddess and deserves every flower,” Navarro wrote. “But I wish she wouldn’t accept an award from the hands of a man who has attacked women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. The gay community helped make her anthem what it is. Trump is a stain on the Kennedy Center. Don’t do it, Gloria.”
Is Gloria Really an Ally?
Here’s where it gets messy: Gaynor has always danced around her stance on LGBTQ rights. When asked in 2007 about being a gay icon, she framed it as a chance to “bring the love of Christ” to her fans. Pressed on whether that meant religious opposition to homosexuality, she doubled down: “I want to lead them to Christ and whatever he has for them.”
Fast forward to 2019, and Gaynor softened the tone but stuck to the same gospel. “I’m not against anybody,” she said, noting she had gay family and employees. But she also reiterated that she lives by the Bible “from Genesis to Revelation.” In other words: love the sinner, but she’s sticking with the scripture.
Now, with Trump dangling one of the nation’s highest cultural honors in front of her, Gaynor’s silence is deafening. She hasn’t publicly said whether she’ll accept.
Why the LGBTQ Community Cares
For LGBTQ people, “I Will Survive” isn’t just a disco hit—it’s a lifeline. From the AIDS crisis to marriage equality, the song has been blasted as an anthem of queer defiance. To see the woman behind it potentially shaking Trump’s hand feels like betrayal to some fans.
If Gaynor takes the award, she risks eroding the trust of the very community that made her timeless. If she refuses, she reclaims her anthem’s power and sends a message that LGBTQ culture can’t be co-opted for Trump’s stagecraft.
Either way, Gloria’s next move isn’t just about her legacy—it’s about the soul of a song that has carried generations of queer people through their darkest nights.
Because let’s be real: the community doesn’t just want to survive. We want to thrive, with or without her blessing.