Breed funds San Francisco drag laureate post
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has budgeted $35,000 in her two-year budget proposal to launch a drag laureate position for the city.
A selection committee will help recommend drag performers for her to choose from for the post, with the inaugural person likely named sometime in October during LGBTQ History Month.Exact details on the selection process, responsibilities of the drag laureate, and the duration of their reign are still to be worked out.
But the position is being modeled after the city's poet laureates, who have served between two to four years in the position.The money Breed is including in her budget is to cover a one-year stipend for the drag laureate.
It will come through the San Francisco Public Library, the city agency that also oversees the poet laureate program."San Francisco's commitment to inclusivity and the arts are the foundation for who we are as a city," stated Breed. "Drag artists have helped pave the way for LGBTQ rights and representation across our city, and we must invest in programs that continue their legacies and create opportunities for the next generation of drag performers to thrive."Helping to advise the city on launching the drag laureate program has been gay attorney Michael Nguyen, a member of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee.
