Republican lawmakers have repeatedly raised issues with the attendance of children at drag performances—which those in the drag communities have argued are not inherently sexual—as part of a larger effort to curb teachings of gender and race theories to kids in America.

In March, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a parental rights bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics, which prevents teachers from discussing LGBTQ issues in classrooms. A number of other states have introduced similar legislation since.

At the same time, President Joe Biden, whom the White House has touted as “champion[ing] the rights of LGBTQI+ Americans and people around the world,” has faced criticism from conservatives for his efforts to expand equality and address discriminatory attacks on members of the LGBTQ community.

The Claim

A Fox News Digital article published on Wednesday reported that the U.S. Department of State is “funding ‘drag theater performances’ in Ecuador to ‘promote diversity and inclusion’” in the region by awarding a $20,600 grant to a non-profit supported by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador.

The story claimed that the latest grant was the “first of its kind funding drag performances.”

The Facts

According to the State Department’s grant list, a grant in the amount reported by Fox was awarded to the Centro Ecuatoriano Norteamericano (CEN) on September 23 as part a public diplomacy program.

The grant listing on the USAspending.gov website says that the funds, which began September 30 and will run through to August 31, 2023, will allow the recipient, CEN, to “host 3 workshops, 12 drag theater performances, and produce a 2 minute documentary.”

It says that the program the funding is tied to 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.”

In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the State Department said the agency supports “a wide range of strategic programs in Ecuador” that focuses on diversity and representation, and that the goal of the CEN program is to “promote tolerance” and “provide new opportunities for LGBTQI+ Ecuadorians to express themselves freely and safely.”

“LGBTQI+ people across the globe deserve to live in societies free from targeted violence and discrimination. Recent data suggest an alarming and deadly rise in violence against LGBTQI+ persons in Ecuador,” the spokesperson said.

“The program will advance key U.S. values of diversity and the inclusion of LGBTQI+ communities as well as promote the acceptance of communities that are disproportionately affected by violence.”

According to the government page, CEN has been awarded a total of $57,200 from the federal government over four transactions, which include infrastructure updates to the center, speaker programs and workshops. The State Department told Newsweek these diplomacy programs totaled almost $900,000 in fiscal year 2021 and 2022.

On its website, CEN describes itself as “a non-profit organization that since its foundation has sought to promote friendship between Ecuador and the United States through the dissemination of free cultural activities for the community and the teaching of English.”

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.

The Ruling

True.

Open data on government spending shows that federal money was granted to CEN specifically for 12 drag theater performances held by the non-profit, although details of the performances are unclear.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK

Update 10/21/22, 9:12 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from the State Department.