The State Department is defending a $20,600 grant for a cultural center in Ecuador to host "drag theater performances," saying it gives LGBTQ people an outlet "to express themselves freely and safely" in the South American country.
Fox News Digital first reported on Wednesday that the State Department awarded a $20,600 grant on Sept. 23 to the Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano Abraham Lincoln (CENA) in Cuenca, Ecuador, a non-profit organization supported by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador, to "promote diversity and inclusion" in the region.
The project at CENA, 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.
