Florida Governor's Veto Of Arts Funding Swords With Personal Bias

The recent veto of arts funding in Florida by Governor DeSantis has been met with widespread criticism, particularly given the irony of his stance. Specifically, the governor's decision was motivated by his objection to the Fringe Festivals, which he has deemed "a sexual festival" characterized by drag queen performances.

Notably, DeSantis has been a vocal critic of drag performances, pushing for a law to ban them, only to be thwarted by a Supreme Court ruling. In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that DeSantis previously served in the U. S. Navy as a lawyer. In this context, the irony of his anti-drag stance is underscored by the fact that naval tradition includes the "crossing the line" ceremony, in which sailors don costumes, including drag attire, to celebrate their first crossing of the equator.

This tradition is overseen by King Neptune and his court... which has included sailors in drag, including a representation of Queen Amphitrite. It is worth noting that the U. S. Army has a long history of hosting drag shows as a means of boosting morale, dating back to World War I. However, this tradition was brought to an end by U. S. Representative Matt Gaetz, who protested these events as immoral.

In contrast, DeSantis's veto of arts funding is seen by many as a short-sighted decision, given the economic benefits of the arts in Florida. According to the Department of State, the arts generate $5. 8 billion in economic activity annually... including $694. 7 million in government revenue. The irony of DeSantis's stance on drag performances and his veto of arts funding is stark, suggesting that his views on the matter are driven by personal rather than logistic considerations.

As such, "his decision has been widely criticized," "and its repercussions are likely to be felt for some time to come." Note: This article was first published in USA TODAY.

Read more: See here

Wait. How ironic. The governor vetoed all sorts of arts funding because of several festivals in the state – the Fringe Festivals - which, according to DeSantis, are, "a sexual festival where they're doing all this stuff." "Stuff" being drag queen performances. They are also, the "stuff" of on-going rants by DeSantis, who is so unhinged by them he pushed a law basically banning drag performances. However, the U.S. The Supreme Court put the big kibosh on his silliness, at least for now.