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Lawmaker on House Foreign Affairs panel demands records on grants that funded 'queering the map' and other cultural projects
Summary
A member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs pressed staff for documentation and social-media links showing how grants funded projects described as "queering the map," inclusive-French efforts in Montreal, and a flash mob in Kyrgyzstan, calling the funding an embarrassing misallocation of resources amid security concerns.
A lawmaker on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs demanded that staff produce records and receipts for foreign-directed grants after testimony referred to a project described as "queering the map." The lawmaker said the committee should be given the underlying documentation and social-media links supporting the projects.
The lawmaker opened by asking for the hearing record to be submitted and then asked plainly, "Can you tell me, uh, what is queering the map?" They quoted testimony that said, "We were trying to make the maps more gay," and noted the work appeared to concern maps of Czechia and Slovakia. The lawmaker said they doubted the countries had requested such work and pressed for clarification on who commissioned and financed it.
The exchange broadened into a critique of spending priorities. "We do have real things to work on in Congress, like what's going on with the imminent threat of Iran," the lawmaker said, calling it "embarrassing" that projects of this type had been funded. The lawmaker listed other examples they said were funded and wanted documented, naming "non-binary and trans francophones," "linguistic attitudes and ideologies towards inclusive French" in Montreal, and an instance described as a flash mob in Kyrgyzstan.
The lawmaker asked staff to provide receipts and the Facebook links or photos used to document those activities and requested the names of the individuals who wrote the grants. "We'd absolutely love to know the individual specifically," the lawmaker said, adding that the organizations responsible "have no business receiving another paycheck from the people of the United States."
The transcript excerpt provided does not show a response from staff, any formal vote, or other committee action related to the requests. The lawmaker's comments were delivered during questioning; the available record ends with the demand for documentation and names and does not record the committee's response or follow-up timeline.
