Somewhere is an entire list of things that our government is using our tax dollars for that make absolutely no sense in regards to usefulness for our country and one of them has recently arisen in the form of the United States giving thousands to help fund an LGBT film festival in a country overseas.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the State Department is tossing $18,000 to an LGBT film festival in Mumbai to “promote gender inclusiveness,” and is currently looking for a non-profit to facilitate the festival, set to occur in June.
“The three-day program in Mumbai would center around the screenings to the general public of seven to ten American films that outline the legal and social aspects of the struggle for gay rights in the United States or that illustrate how the perceptions of gay people by Hollywood and the general public have changed over time, in particular how gay characters are portrayed in film,” the grant announcement states.
According to the Free Beacon, the consulate in Mumbai said it “supports initiatives that promote diversity, tolerance, and gender inclusiveness, including for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”
“Recognizing the landmark 2018 Indian Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized homosexual activity, LGBT Indians nonetheless still struggle for social acceptance,” the U.S. consulate added. “This project will support greater inclusion of LGBT Indians in society by bringing together diverse audiences for a three-day film festival of American feature and documentary films on LGBT themes.”
The festivities will also include LGBT speakers discussing their struggles as a member of the community.
That there is an LGBT festival in Mumbai to promote tolerance isn’t the issue. That members of the LGBT community are treated just like everyone else — not given special treatment, mind you — isn’t a bad thing at all. The problem is that we’re sending an exorbitant amount of money to an overseas location for a film festival that gives no benefit to Americans without the consent of the taxpayer.
This kind of thing, be it for the LGBT community or Christian driven festivals, would be better handled by crowdfunding sites, especially in a day and age when it’s so easy to raise money. If the people really consider this venture in Mumbai to be worth it, then the non-profit putting it on would have no problem raising the funds. People from all over the world can donate to the cause.
Instead, the bill is being footed by the American taxpayer, without their consent, and who are currently up to his or her neck in debt thanks to an overabundance of entitlement and social programs that go nowhere or cause harm to entire communities who “benefit” from it.
It’s also slightly offputting that a foreign film festival can get five digit number sums, but we can’t get one rusty nickel for a border wall.
Our government’s interests seem to be misplaced.
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