Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made clear to the public last week his decision to veto $32 million in arts and culture funding in next year’s state budget.
According to the publication Tampa Bay TimesDeSantis said the cause was the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival, which he said had obvious “sexual overtones” and was therefore inappropriate for state funding.
While it’s unclear if the Orlando Film Festival will receive funding from these grants, the state of Florida provides funding for cultural projects based on the following criteria: Ranking ListThe Fringe Festival ranked last. DeSantis said the event should prompt Florida lawmakers to reevaluate how state funds are spent.
related articles
“You use taxpayer money to fund an event like the Fringe, which is like a sex festival and they do all kinds of things there,” the premier said at a news conference, later adding, “I have to speak up for the taxpayers when I see money being spent like that, and you know what, it’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer money.”
“By referring to the Fringe as a ‘sex’ festival, he mischaracterizes our festival and misrepresents our contribution to the local, national and international arts community,” Orlando Fringe producer Tempest Halstead said in a statement. Halstead said the festival is one of 200 such events around the world that aim to “promote artistic expression and cultural exchange around the world.”
Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said this year’s festival was not “pornographic,” but she noted, “It does feature drag queens and other forms of artistic expression, which DeSantis keeps trying to censor even though the courts are telling him not to!”
In 2023, lawmakers called for a ban on drag shows that allow children to attend and for venues to prohibit children from attending live adult performances. The proposed legislation was blocked by a federal judge for violating First Amendment rights, a decision that was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
Institutions affected by DeSantis’ cultural funding veto include the Tampa Museum of Art and the Orlando Museum of Art.
