LGBTQ+ Film Festival Canceled in Phoenix Citing Trump's DEI Order

PHOENIX — The Desperado LGBTQ+ Film Festival, a fixture in Phoenix for 16 years, has been abruptly canceled.Organizers state the decision is "in direct response" to President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at publicly funded institutions.

The festival, hosted by a student organization at Paradise Valley Community College, a recipient of federal funds, announced its cessation on its website. "As a publicly funded institution, we must comply with these orders," the organizers stated. "Failure to do so would jeopardize the district’s federal funding, including student financial aid and grants that support over 300 positions across our campuses."

Trump’s DEI-related executive order calls for the termination of such mandates and programs within the federal government, labeling them as "discriminatory." LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD has categorized this order as one of over 300 "anti-LGBTQ actions" taken by the current administration, including cuts to LGBTQ youth suicide hotlines and the removal of transgender service members from the military.

The White House, while not directly addressing the festival's cancellation, issued a statement from spokesperson Harrison Fields asserting that "Trump’s reelection and the overall MAGA movement is a big tent welcome for all and home to a large swath of the American people."

Festival organizers expressed heartbreak over the cancellation but conveyed hope for the future. "We hope this is not a farewell but a momentary pause," their statement concluded, "We look forward to the possibility of resuming the festival when conditions allow."