Overview

• Festival leaders canceled the 17th annual Desperado LGBTQ+ Film Festival in direct response to President Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federally funded institutions.
• Hosted by a student organization at Paradise Valley Community College, the nonprofit event relied on federal grants that underpin student financial aid and support over 300 positions across campuses.
• Trump’s executive order directs the termination of DEI mandates, policies and activities across federal government bodies, labeling them as discriminatory.
• GLAAD includes the DEI order in its tracker of more than 300 measures it considers anti-LGBTQ+, and federal courts lifted a nationwide injunction against key provisions earlier this year.
• Organizers expressed hope that the festival can return once federal requirements allow DEI initiatives to resume.