DeSantis' disdain for "sexual" fringe festivals leads to vetoes from the arts community

Governor Ron DeSantis said he rejected the entire $32 million in cultural and museum grants and related funding for hundreds of Florida organizations because a fraction of the money went to “fringe” festivals, unusual shows that can include adult content and drag performers.

Opening what may be his latest cultural battleground, DeSantis said the budget bill had been condemned because a handful of fringe festivals – which he said were “like a sex festival” – could receive funding.

“We had no control over how the money was distributed,” DeSantis said of the individual grants during an appearance in Polk County on Thursday. “So your tax dollars are being given in the form of grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sex festival where they do all this stuff.”

“How many of you think your tax dollars should be used to fund this action? Not many people would do that,” he added, explaining for the first time the veto that was issued more than two weeks ago but still has Florida’s cultural community in turmoil.

DeSantis’ $32 million veto denied nearly 600 arts and cultural programs and 33 community theaters, museums and other attractions across the state the grants they were expecting.

Some faced the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in expected government funds just days before the July 1 fiscal year began and were now left scrambling desperately to plug sudden financial holes.

There was not much support for fringe festivals

The cut item does not include much funding for the Fringe Festival. And there are only four Fringe Festivals that take place in the state.

“It is very unfortunate that the governor is misrepresenting our festival,” said Tempestt Halstead, producer of the International Fringe Festival of Central Florida, which has been running for 34 years.

“Blocking all government resources and blaming us is completely absurd,” she added.

The Tampa International Fringe Festival was set to receive $7,369 before DeSantis’ veto; the International Fringe Festival of Central Florida could have received $70,508, which Halstead said represents about 5% of the Orando-based organization’s budget.

The Lee County Alliance of the Arts was set to receive $61,570 before DeSantis’ veto. The organization supports the Fringe Fort Myers, whose website proclaims that it maintains the tradition of being “100% uncensored, 100% unjuried and 100% inclusive.”

The Global Association of Fringe Festivals points out that “Fringe is a grassroots festival that offers the freedom to celebrate and exchange.”

Fringe festivals originated in Scotland nearly 80 years ago and are now held all over the world. They often include comedy, music, theatre and dance and can last several days, with a wide range of artists performing.

Ticket sales for the Fort Myers Fringe go directly to the performers. Melissa Dehaven, marketing director for the Alliance of the Arts, rejected DeSantis’ portrayal of Fringe festivals as sex shows.

“It’s a weekend where artists can perform in front of people, showcase their talent and make money,” DeHaven said.

Is DeSantis trying to distract from the criticism?

Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democratic senator-elect from the Orlando area, said he believed DeSantis was trying to deflect criticism he might face from some allies over his veto by scapegoating the Fringe festivals.

“He is abusing his veto power to censor and control the arts,” Smith said. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen in ‘free’ states.”

With his attacks on fringe festivals and the places where cultural and museum funding goes, DeSantis seems to have found a new target for his crusade against the woke movement.

DeSantis has managed over the years to get a compliant Republican-controlled legislature to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools and workplaces, remove certain books from school shelves, reform the liberal-leaning New College of Florida and impose a series of new restrictions on LGBTQ citizens in Florida.

DeSantis portrayed himself as the state’s financial watchdog on Thursday.

DeSantis vetoes nearly $950 millionFlorida Governor DeSantis signs $116.5 billion state budget after rejecting nearly $950 million

Money for culture and museums goneDeSantis vetoes funds for arts and museums, shocking Florida’s cultural organizations

He also suggested that new oversight of state cultural funding may be needed. Currently, this is done by arts review panels that make recommendations that are then reviewed and approved by the governor’s secretary of state.

The level of spending on the culture and museums list is ultimately determined by Parliament. This year’s expenditure was less than half of the amount originally recommended.

Now no dollars for any group

But currently some organizations are no longer receiving any government funding.

“When I see money being spent this way, I have to be the one standing up for taxpayers and saying this is an inappropriate use of taxpayer money,” DeSantis said. “And I think the legislature needs to reevaluate how this is being done.”

Sandra Mortham, a former Florida secretary of state, attended a meeting of the state’s Council on Arts and Culture on Thursday and urged the public to take note of DeSantis’ actions.

“I think we need to think about a strategy on this,” Mortham said of the veto. “Everyone on the council is appointed by the speaker, the Senate president and the governor. And of course the governor has strong opinions on this. We need to think about how to solve the problem for the future rather than necessarily looking to the past.”

DeSantis, speaking Thursday after an event to raise funds for road construction and other projects in the Polk area, downplayed the need for the cultural and museum grants in the $116.5 million state budget that takes effect July 1.

The governor pointed out that the budget is smaller than last year, with grants cut in the wake of nearly $950 million in vetoes, even though the budget still has $17 billion in reserves.

“These roads are important. I can sell that. Education is important. I can sell that. Preserving our natural resources is important. I can sell that,” he said.

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