State Department Funds Drag Shows in Ecuador

The U.S. Department of State has given more than $20,000 to a cultural institution in Ecuador so that it can conduct “drag theatrical performances.”

The Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano (CEN), a nonprofit backed by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador, received a $20,600 grant from the State Department on September 23 to “promote diversity and inclusion” in the area.

According to the State Department’s funding, as posted on the USASpending.gov website, the project at CEN will consist of “3 workshops,” “12 drag theater performances,” and a “2-minute documentary.” It began on September 30 and will continue until August 31, 2023.

The State Department’s public diplomacy program, according to its website, aims to “support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics and by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people and government of the United States and citizens of the rest of the world.” The grant to CEN is a part of this program.

Hundreds of thousands of American taxpayer dollars have been given to CEN over the years, but this is the first time the State Department will fund drag shows.

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