A group of people will come together tonight for a dance protest against President Donald Trump’s “religious liberty” executive order.
The executive order, while not explicitly targeting LGBTQ people, is intended to make it easier for churches to get involved in politics.
WERK for Peace, a queer artist collective in Washington, D.C., is organizing the protest alongside Queer Resistance and the Trans Women of Color Collective. The organizations will gather outside of the White House tonight to engage in one of the most classically queer forms of resistance: dancing.
“In a country that was founded upon the separation of Church and State, this administration knows no limit to their hypocrisy as they use the guise of ‘religious freedom’ to legalize violence and discrimination against queer and trans people, LGBT people, women, and anyone seeking reproductive health care, on the National Day of Prayer,” protest co-organizer Carla Aronsohn told HuffPost. “We are here in front of the White House dancing and building art to fight back, we use our bodies and creativity as a tool to facilitate our message, bring our communities together, and stand up fiercely for those who can’t.”
WERK for Peace and its partner organizations have organized a number of other dance party protests post-election, including outside of Ivanka Trump’s home, outside of Vice President Mike Pence’s house and at Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The White House protest will take place on the north side of the building from 6:00-8:30 p.m. and feature “community speakers, reverberating music, biodegradable confetti, face paint, and a massive banner build, to be left on the White House fence,” according to a press release.
“We are here to make it crystal clear that this executive order is not about religious freedom, but about blatant discrimination against our communities,” co-organizer Firas Nasr said in a statement. “We will stand in solidarity with one another, using art and movement to heal, connect, and resist. Whether or not the executive order is passed, we will make it known that we are here and we are watching.”
Head here for more information about tonight’s dance party protest.