Gloria Gaynor’s rise from ’70s disco queen to a living symbol of American resilience was on full display this week as she took her rightful place among the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees. The decision to celebrate Gaynor — whose anthem has comforted and inspired generations — was more than a cultural nod; it was a reminder that our shared heritage still belongs to the people, not the pundits.
President Trump’s involvement in this year’s Honors has riled the usual suspects, but it also restored a sense of common-sense stewardship to a cornerstone institution that had drifted into partisan hands. Conservatives should applaud a president who recognizes real achievement and isn’t afraid to put America’s cultural icons back on a pedestal for all to admire. The event’s star-studded roster makes clear that art and excellence still cut across labels and politics.
Make no mistake about the song that sealed Gaynor’s legacy: I Will Survive was famously released as a B-side and then exploded into an uplifting anthem that transcended disco and decades. The track went from being overlooked to topping charts, winning a Grammy, and earning a place in the nation’s cultural memory — proof that genuine talent and truth outlast passing trends. This is the American story in miniature: unexpected, unstoppable, and unbowed.
Of course, the left erupted, with commentators like Ana Navarro publicly urging Gaynor to refuse the honor simply because it was presented by a Republican president. That shrill, performative politics is exactly what turns art into a battleground and insults both artists and audiences who just want their culture celebrated. Conservatives should call out the hypocrisy: praising the song when convenient, then weaponizing identity when it isn’t.
Gaynor herself kept the focus where it belongs — on gratitude and the music. She described meeting the president as “very personable and very pleasant,” and said she was “beyond blessed and honored” to accept the recognition, a classy response that put virtue and humility above partisan grandstanding. In a time of constant division, her dignity is a welcome reminder that the nation’s finest can rise above the noise.
Let hardworking Americans remember why we value icons like Gloria Gaynor: they embody perseverance, faith, and the power of art to heal. The Kennedy Center’s celebration — and the decision to spotlight performers who have united crowds for decades — should be a rebuke to those who try to cancel culture rather than cherish it. If Washington’s elites want to score cheap points, let them; the rest of us will keep honoring what’s timeless and true.
