All Things LGBTQ+ (10 Viewers)

SystemShock said:

They may not be evil, but you have to admit, $20,000 dlls to stage drag queen shows in Ecuador, that's a bit much.

It used to be that drag queens basically were clowns, men dressed in overly exaggerated women's clothing and make up lip sync'ing to Cher and Dolly Parton songs in night clubs. And they are still men dressed in overly exaggerated women's clothing and make up, but now drag queen is a "gender".

And if anyone gets upset with the clown comparison, you have issues.

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$20,000 went to the Ecuadorean Cultural Center to promote inclusion and diversity, not necessarily to put on drag shows. The cultural center chose to use part of the money for some drag shows, other money went to workshops and lectures. The article spells it out - the tweet is misleading.

MT15 said:

$20,000 went to the Ecuadorean Cultural Center to promote inclusion and diversity, not necessarily to put on drag shows. The cultural center chose to use part of the money for some drag shows, other money went to workshops and lectures. The article spells it out - the tweet is misleading.

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Well, according to https://www.usaspending.gov , which claims to be "An official website of the U.S. government", $20,600 dollars were given to CEN (initials in Spanish) specifically to "HOST 3 WORKSHOPS, 12 DRAG THEATER PERFORMANCES, AND PRODUCE A 2 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY" (copying and pasting from the site, that's why the caps) I think we can safely conclude that the workshops and documentary are also about drag queens.

MT15 said:

Moms for Liberty are evil. You should research a group before you give them blanket approval. I don’t believe anything they say - they are a group that is being paid by some anonymous donor to take over school boards. They are not acting in the interest of American public education.

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Moms for Liberty sounds like the kind of group Michael Flynn would funnel money to. Flynn advocates fighting locally which sounds like what Moms for Liberty does on school boards, etc.

How Michael Flynn Goes Local to Spread Christian Nationalism | FRONTLINE

Retired three-star general Michael Flynn urges supporters of a far-right movement to change the U.S. through "local action." AP and FRONTLINE found Sarasota County, Florida, has become a laboratory for his approach.

www.pbs.org

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MT15 said:

Moms for Liberty are evil. You should research a group before you give them blanket approval. I don’t believe anything they say - they are a group that is being paid by some anonymous donor to take over school boards. They are not acting in the interest of American public education.

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Are you claiming that mom lied and that book was never at the school and on the reading list?

SaintForLife said:

Are you claiming that mom lied and that book was never at the school and on the reading list?

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Perhaps she left out information, such as the very opening lines from that chapter that warn the reader exactly what is to come and encourages them to skip the entire thing if they're not comfortable with it.

SaintForLife said:

Are you claiming that mom lied and that book was never at the school and on the reading list?

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No I don’t know enough about this case to know for sure, but as cuddle noted, there are always facts conveniently left out. That’s the entire MO - exaggerate, (they will lie if they have to), get on the board by fear mongering and then wreck the school system. They will censor books, target LBGTQ for harassment and try to get people fired, etc. It’s just like McCarthyism was during the Red Scare. They will ruin people‘s lives over this. For nothing.

SystemShock said:

Well, according to , which claims to be "An official website of the U.S. government", $20,600 dollars were given to CEN (initials in Spanish) specifically to "HOST 3 WORKSHOPS, 12 DRAG THEATER PERFORMANCES, AND PRODUCE A 2 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY" (copying and pasting from the site, that's why the caps) I think we can safely conclude that the workshops and documentary are also about drag queens.

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I don’t think we can safely assume any such thing. Your link is broken, but the article I read said only that money was given. It didn’t say that any specific directions were given on how the money should be spent except for diversity and inclusion.

And, honestly, unless there is an anti-LBGTQ agenda, I don’t think anyone will care that they used some of that money to put on drag shows. Nor should they. Of all the money that is spent by the US government, this is such a tiny nit to pick.

MT15 said:

I don’t think we can safely assume any such thing.

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I think we can.

MT15 said:

Your link is broken,

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The link is not broken for me. Here is the full link.

MT15 said:

but the article I read said only that money was given. It didn’t say that any specific directions were given on how the money should be spent except for diversity and inclusion.

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The article does state the exact same thing the .gov page states, which I copied and pasted from the .gov site. From the article:
The project at CEN, which started Sept. 30 and runs until Aug. 31, 2023, will include "3 workshops," "12 drag theater performances," and a "2-minute documentary," according to the State Department’s grant listed on the USASpending.gov website.

MT15 said:

And, honestly, unless there is an anti-LBGTQ agenda, I don’t think anyone will care that they used some of that money to put on drag shows. Nor should they. Of all the money that is spent by the US government, this is such a tiny nit to pick.

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Oh, yeah, it has to be an anti-LGBTQ agenda because anything short of 100% compliance and 100% acceptance means anti-LGBTQ agenda. I guess that makes me now dragphobic.

People do care... especially poor people who can vote in the U.S. who can't even buy medicines for their children, but learn the U.S. is giving money to a organization in Ecuador to put up drag queen shows.

And the idea that those shows are put on in the name of "inclusivity and diversity"... come on, drag queens?

You seem to be conflating reporting how the center spent the money with the US saying how the money had to be spent. I don’t see anywhere that the US specified anything but that the money be spent on diversity and inclusion.

I cannot help it that you seem eager to condemn this spending and how that makes it look. If you’re going to choose to make a big stink about this, at least own it. You seem to have a problem with LBGTQ issues, IMO. It is what it is.

Personally, I look at it this way: this is not a huge commitment of money, drag shows are not evil, quite the opposite - they are a fun celebration of show business. Also, I highly doubt that the US specified that the money had to be spent in such a specific way - down to how many minutes for the film? That’s just not how grants work. The government website is simply reporting how the money was spent after the grant was given, as it should whenever tax dollars are spent.

Sure, you can point to the failings of the US health system, but this amount of money doesn’t make any difference in that. No money will be spent on healthcare unless the democrats win actual control that can break a Senate filibuster. So why does this $20k bug you so much?

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SystemShock said:

Well, according to https://www.usaspending.gov , which claims to be "An official website of the U.S. government", $20,600 dollars were given to CEN (initials in Spanish) specifically to "HOST 3 WORKSHOPS, 12 DRAG THEATER PERFORMANCES, AND PRODUCE A 2 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY" (copying and pasting from the site, that's why the caps) I think we can safely conclude that the workshops and documentary are also about drag queens.

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When you are complaining about 20,600 dollars it isn't because you are against wasteful spending, it's because you don't like the thing the money is being spent on.

samiam5211 said:

When you are complaining about 20,600 dollars it isn't because you are against wasteful spending, it's because you don't like the thing the money is being spent on.

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I never cared about drag queen shows; I don't find them to have any entertainment value or social relevance. If you enjoy that sort of entertainment, good for you. But that's not what you meant when you say "you don't like the thing", is it?

MT15 said:

You seem to be conflating reporting how the center spent the money with the US saying how the money had to be spent. I don’t see anywhere that the US specified anything but that the money be spent on diversity and inclusion.

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Come on. Stop trying to spinning it.

MT15 said:

I cannot help it that you seem eager to condemn this spending and how that makes it look. If you’re going to choose to make a big stink about this, at least own it. You seem to have a problem with LBGTQ issues, IMO. It is what it is.

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It is really getting tiresome to respond to this type of comment. I am not "eager to condemn" nor making a "big stink". Nor do I "have a problem with LGBTQ issues".

MT15 said:

Personally, I look at it this way: this is not a huge commitment of money,

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Yeah, everyone in the U.S. is so rich...

MT15 said:

drag shows are not evil, quite the opposite - they are a fun celebration of show business.

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Who the hell is saying drag queen shows are evil? Am I saying drag queen shows are evil? As for a "fun celebration of show business", if you like that kind of entertainment, good for you.

MT15 said:

Also, I highly doubt that the US specified that the money had to be spent in such a specific way - down to how many minutes for the film? That’s just not how grants work. The government website is simply reporting how the money was spent after the grant was given, as it should whenever tax dollars are spent.

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So, the way it works, the organization requests the money and gives a reason why they need the money.

MT15 said:

Sure, you can point to the failings of the US health system, but this amount of money doesn’t make any difference in that.

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That amount of money would make a big difference for many people, here in the U.S.

MT15 said:

So why does this $20k bug you so much?

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It's not the $20K per se, it is what the money was spent on, and where.

Ecuador has a huge issue with discrimination of their indigenous people and people of African descent, the latter becoming even more marked in the last few years. And this discrimination doesn't care if you are straight or gay, man or woman, adult or child, or even if you are a drag queen or a drag king. The over 2 million indigenous and African-descent people of Ecuador certainly could use some help in the inclusivity and diversity arenas. But we are more preoccupied with the inclusivity of drag queens.

And here in the U.S., more importantly, this is the type of government spending that shifts undecided voters to the GOP side.

SystemShock said:

....................I never cared about drag queen shows; I don't find them to have any entertainment value or social relevance. ...........................

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Which of course doesn't mean they aren't entertaining or socially relevant.

BullSheetBuddha said:

Which of course doesn't mean they aren't entertaining or socially relevant.

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Eye of the beholder.

SaintForLife said:

We need more not less drag shows especially for kids. Luckily the Biden administration is supporting international drag shows with US funding.

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I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing that.

SystemShock said:

I never cared about drag queen shows; I don't find them to have any entertainment value or social relevance. If you enjoy that sort of entertainment, good for you. But that's not what you meant when you say "you don't like the thing", is it?

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You actually care a whole lot, it seems.

samiam5211 said:

When you are complaining about 20,600 dollars it isn't because you are against wasteful spending, it's because you don't like the thing the money is being spent on.

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It's both. Small expenditures can add up quickly.