A West Texas city recently voted to revoke funding from a monthly arts walk for promoting LGBT events for children and families.
The Lubbock City Council voted 5-2 to remove $30,000 of taxpayer funds from the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) which manages the art walk trail. The money, drawn from hotel stays, is about a quarter of the First Friday Art Trail’s funding.
Council member David Glasheen spearheaded the proposal to slash the funding, which he believes promoted LGBT events advertised as family-friendly.
“Last year, before I joined the council, the First Friday Art Trail (FFAT) received a grant from the City of Lubbock, which was funded by tax dollars,” Glasheen said in a statement to the Caller.
BERLIN, GERMANY – JULY 22: A Progress Pride Flag with the Intersex circle is waved during the annual Christopher Street Day parade on July 22, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. CSD Berlin is among Europe’s biggest Pride events and is a demonstration and celebration of the rights of LGBTQIA+ people. (Photo by Omer Messinger/Getty Images)
He said FFAT used taxpayer money to promote attendance at the art displays. He specifically highlighted “Queering West Texas,” which was advertised as a “child-friendly” LGBT workshop. He said another venue on the trail “hosted drag performers.”
A Facebook post shows a posting in June advertising the Queering West Texas display on the art trail. The post states the display “explor[es] themes of identity, sexuality, gender, and politics.”
A flyer advertising the workshop explicitly states it is “child friendly.”
Another display mentioned by Glasheen asked people to write down on sticky notes what beliefs an “ally” should hold.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 27: A child carrying Trans pride flags marches in the 3rd Annual Queer Liberation March on June 27, 2021 in New York City. The Queer Liberation March is a “people’s march” working to “reclaim the spirit and meaning of Pride” with a motto of “No Corps – No Cops – No BS” according to their website. This year’s march started in Bryant Park and wended near The Stonewall Inn in the West Village. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Other questions included “What roles should an ally fill?”, “What beliefs should allies hold?” and “How can allies best advocate for queer and other marginalized communities?”
In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill (SB) 12 into law, which banned “sexually oriented” performances on the premises of a commercial enterprise, public property, and in front of a minor.
However, after the ACLU of Texas filed a lawsuit, a federal judge ruled the law violated the First Amendment.
In a Facebook post on July 6, 2024, communications co-chair of the Lubbock NAACP 6198 – Kim Gonzalez – stated performers for a “Madres Radicales” drag show at the art trail were told last minute to “perform OUT of drag.”
The post includes two videos of men without drag attire dancing suggestively while some children are present.
The drag show was held at the Charles Adams Studio Project (CASP). According to an official proposal for the exhibition posted by the curator, Leslie C. Sotomayor II, the “theme for this exhibition is entangled with the expanding terminology of motherhood as it connects to LGBTQIA+ communities,” among other left-wing groups.
According to Sotomayor, the exhibition’s director told one of the co-curators the drag performers needed to be removed from the show due to Texas’ SB 12. However, upon learning that a judge ruled it was unconstitutional, the group decided to have the performers “go on stage in drag, [disrobe], and perform the exact same thing out of drag.”
Glasheen stated he opposed another grant for the FFAT because of past exhibitions.
“This year, FFAT asked for another grant of tax dollars to promote another year of similar displays,” he stated. “I led an effort to decline the grant because I believe it is wrong to target children and families with sexual content. Tax dollars should not be used to promote or support causes that conflict with our West Texas values.”
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 11: Drag queen performs during a pre-game ceremony in honor of pride night before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
The Caller reached out to Councilwoman Christy Martinez-Garcia, who voted against the measure, but did not respond in time for publication. However, according to the Texas Tribune, she told council members the art trail needs to be “open for anybody and everybody, I’m straight but I don’t hate.”
“I appreciate your input, but it’s so important that we don’t pick who we are representing,” Martinez-Garcia said. (RELATED: Federal Judge Blocks Red State Ban On Drag Shows In Front Of Children)
She reportedly requested to reconsider the agenda item at the council’s next meeting.
The non-profit Civic Lubbock administers the grant and claims the requested funding supports advertising for the art trail, security and a trolley service, among other fees.
The LHUCA did not respond to a request to comment but said in a statement, “The programming in question was not held on LHUCA property, but rather a separate entity in control of their own creative programming.” The organization claimed it was not asked about the LGBT programs by the City Council prior to the decision.
An appellate court recently dismissed a challenge to a Tennessee law that criminalized sexual adult performances in public spaces or in front of minors.
