Folk singer Kristy Lee is standing by her decision to cancel a show scheduled to take place at the Kennedy Center.
“I’m a gay singer-songwriter from the South, and I have to make sure that the platform I stand on respects where I come from and the humanity I believe in. Right now, that empathy is not reflected in this administration,” she told AL.com in an interview about her decision published Sunday.
The 45-year-old Alabama native was scheduled to perform on January 14 of this year, but opted out in December after Trump renamed the cultural center after himself.
Christie Lee explained that she believes the current administration does not reflect “the humanity that she believes in.” /Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images
When asked about possible legal ramifications given the center’s threats against Chuck Redd after he was removed from the center, Lee explained that she wasn’t worried about punishment from the agency.
“No. I was not threatened with legal action. I will be honest: My decision was not driven by fear of consequences. It was driven by conscience. I was trying to be consistent with myself and keep myself safe,” she told the outlet.
Lee also cited the “real threats” she faces as an openly gay performer, saying “tensions have only gotten worse over the past decade.”
The artist explained that despite rising “tensions” in the country, she was more concerned about her conscience than the consequences. / Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
She added: “This reflects a wider climate in which cruelty has been normalized and empathy has been eroded. When leadership engages in bullying against marginalized people, it bleeds into everyday life and alienates us from one another.”
Lee released a statement on December 23 announcing his decision to cancel the show on Facebook.
In part, she wrote to her fans: “I’m not going to lie to you, canceling shows hurts. It’s how I stay active. But losing my integrity is costing me more than any paycheck.”
“When American history begins to be viewed as something that can be banned, erased, renamed, or renamed for the sake of someone else’s ego, I can’t stand on that stage and sleep at night.”
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Lee isn’t the only artist to pull out of scheduled shows. Redd was threatened with a $1 million lawsuit over the cancellation of his traditional Christmas Eve show.
Lee and Red were joined by a number of other performers, including singer Sonia De Los Santos; evil Composer Stephen Schwartz, jazz saxophonist Billy Harper and Broadway shows hamilton. The Washington National Opera announced Friday it will leave the Kennedy Center after more than 50 years.
Richard Grenell/X
In response to the famous opera’s departure, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell issued a detailed statement on X in an attempt to move the development forward in line with the center’s plans. “We have spent millions of dollars to support the Washington Opera’s exclusivity, but they are still in a multi-million dollar hole – and it’s getting worse,” Grenell wrote.
Of other performers no longer with the Kennedy Center, Grenell derided them as “succumbing to the woke mob.”