In a move that has sparked outrage across Miami-Dade’s creative community, a newly proposed county budget threatens to gut the region’s thriving arts ecosystem — and LGBTQ artists and organizations could feel the brunt of the blow. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s proposed 2025–2026 budget includes a staggering $12.8 million cut to cultural grant funding — that’s more than a 50% slash.
Even more alarming: the proposal would merge the Department of Cultural Affairs into the Miami-Dade Public Library System and eliminate the department’s director entirely. Arts leaders are calling this proposal a cultural catastrophe. The Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre is joining forces with the Miami-Dade Arts Action Alliance to fight back. The proposed cuts would dismantle decades of investment, gut small and mid-sized arts organizations, and erase thousands of artist livelihoods — many of them LGBTQ. Arts activists argue that the arts are vital to community interest and not a luxury.
Miami-Dade’s arts scene generates over $2.1 billion a year, supports 32,000 jobs, attracts millions of tourists, and returns $443 million in public revenue. Every county dollar invested brings in $42 more. The final decision happens September 18 at the last budget hearing. The announcement comes at a very difficult time for the LGBTQ community as we face opposition from state and federal grant funding sources in their fight against Diversity. Florida has slashed millions of dollars in arts funding that have dramatically affected organizations like the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida and the Outshine Film Festival.
There are more than twenty five cultural and arts LGBTQ organizations that could be dramatically affected. Until then, allies and artists are urged to take action. Activists encourage you to Email the mayor. Call your commissioner. Show up at the September 4 and 18 hearings. And most importantly, tell your story. The LGBTQ community knows if we lose our culture, we lose our voice. For more information you can visit miamidade.gov and sign the petition today.
