The Biden administration, through the State Department, is allocating taxpayer dollars to sponsor a ballroom dancing initiative aimed at "uplifting transgender and gender-diverse" young individuals in Peru.
The program, titled "Ballroom Saves Lives: Resiliency and Wellness in Peru," draws inspiration from a ballroom dancing tradition rooted in the Black and Latinx LGBTQIA community, as reported by the Daily Caller.
The initiative, supported under the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund (CDAF), seeks to utilize ballroom dancing to establish connections between young LGBTQIA+ leaders and essential medical resources.
The primary goal is to foster trust between these individuals and healthcare providers.
The CDAF, initiated by the State Department in 2019, has dispersed $1.85 million in grants, with individual grants capped at $10,000. The fund is dedicated to supporting projects formulated by alums of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs.
The ballroom program, consisting of three events and a series of workshops, is part of a broader effort by the State Department to strengthen democracy, combat disinformation, protect the environment, and assist refugees.
Ballroom, emerging as a subculture in 1970s New York City, often involves drag queens.
This endeavor follows a pattern of CDAF-supported programs that aim to foster cultural understanding and empowerment.
In 2022, the fund backed projects included an exploration of the role jazz plays in the pursuit of freedom, democracy, and civil rights, workshops focusing on hip-hop, graffiti, and dance forms including breaking, popping, and locking, as well as initiatives like "Empowering Women Leaders in Rural Morocco."
This is not the first instance of Biden's State Department financing programs catering to the LGBTQIA+ community.
Previously, the State Department supported an LGBTQI+ film festival in Portugal despite controversy over films depicting incest and inappropriate relationships involving minors. The Department defended its decision, citing a commitment to "protecting and promoting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons," as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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