Leaders of two performing arts festivals mentioned Thursday that they’d gladly surrender their grants if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis restores the $32 million in state funding he nixed for greater than 600 Florida arts teams, explaining the explanation for his veto as being as a result of the 2 theatrical occasions had been “a sexual pageant.”

Leaders of The Orlando Fringe and Tampa Fringe described the governor’s description as inaccurate on Thursday at a information convention, however they mentioned it was essential for the state’s arts teams to be funded as a result of they play essential roles of their communities. The Orlando pageant had been slated to get $70,500, and the Tampa pageant was in line to obtain $7,500 earlier than the veto.

“Such as you, we the Orlando and Tampa Fringe festivals care drastically in regards to the residents of Florida,” they mentioned in an open letter to the governor. “On condition that widespread floor, we hope that you just learn this letter with an open thoughts and totally contemplate the proposal beneath.”

Requested to answer the letter, a DeSantis spokeswoman referred to the governor’s June 27 remarks when he cited the Fringe festivals as one thing to which taxpayers can be reluctant to have their cash directed.

“After I see cash being spent that method, I’ve to be the one who stands up for taxpayers and say, ‘ what? That’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer {dollars},’ ” DeSantis mentioned.

Critics decried the veto, saying it was an extension of DeSantis’ culture wars through which he has supported legal guidelines limiting what can be said in school rooms about sexual orientation and gender identification and prohibiting the instructing of an educational framework outlining the methods systemic racism is a part of American society.

Arts and cultural teams throughout Florida have been scrambling to fill holes of their budgets ever since DeSantis vetoed the humanities funding final month from the state’s $116.5 billion budget.

Arts leaders throughout the state mentioned it was the primary time they recall a Florida governor eliminating all grant funding for arts and tradition, and it got here as arts organizations that survived COVID-19 pandemic closures had been nonetheless recovering with smaller attendance and revenues.

Florida’s arts and cultural trade generates $5.7 billion in financial exercise a yr, together with $2.9 billion by nonprofit arts and tradition organizations, and helps greater than 91,000 full-time jobs, according to a study from Individuals for the Arts in collaboration with the state Division of Arts and Tradition and Residents for Florida Arts Inc.

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Observe Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP.