Sex educator clowns and BDSM classical music: How New York City arts group wasted $800K of taxpayer's money

Taxpayer-funded woke art events, including erotic poetry readings, 'sex educator clowns', a BDSM-classical music mashup, and performances in aid of prison abolition, have got a New York government watchdog hot and bothered.

Nonprofit 'good governance' group One City Rising (OCR) has sparked a fight with the New York City Council by writing a letter demanding a review of $787,000 taxpayer funds given to an organization putting on the controversial art acts.

The spat is a microcosm of a culture war raging in the US – one side fearing they are under attack from prudish busybodies policing free expression, the other claiming government institutions are feeding 'woke' propaganda.

Last year the city's Department of Cultural Affairs gave $130,000, one of its biggest cultural development grants, to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), a group founded in 1973 to promote the arts in the Big Apple.

LMCC also received $657,600 in New York state government funds in 2023, records show.

One City Rising said there are 'significant questions about appropriateness, oversight, and fiscal responsibility' of the cash handouts, which they say are being used 'for purposes that taxpayers might find objectionable', in a December 18 letter to NYC Commissioner Laurie Cumbo.

The letter highlighted taxpayer-funded events, including a BDSM-themed 'concert series celebrating queer identity through classical music and the aesthetics of the Leather subculture' and a show by a self-described professional clown teaching sex education.

It also pointed to a series of 'socially-conscious musical works' by Black and Pink, a group 'dedicated to abolishing the criminal punishment system and liberating LGBTQIA2S+ people,' as well as 'raising money for bail funds across the country.'

The 'fetish fantasia' classical music event that 'explores the homoerotic undercurrent of British musical history' was titled ERATO and held in June, with promotional pictures showing two men in leather fetish gear, one playing the violin.

Black and Pink's show was titled 'Our Anthem: An Orchestral Activation'. It was described by LMCC as 'bring[ing] together the orchestral forces of musical-abolitionist collective Sound Off: Music for Bail and justice-seekers Black & Pink NYC to perform socially-conscious musical works by leading Black composers and envision new ways of creating public safety in our city and our world.'

'While we believe art is a form of free speech, art that is explicitly political speech advocating for the overthrow of our criminal justice system at a time of rising crime - funded by the government through taxpayer dollars - should receive more scrutiny,' One City Rising said in its letter.

Self-described 'actual sex educator, clown & Long COVID long hauler' Una Osato received an LMCC grant to perform 'Ask Me Anything: Even MORE Teaching Sex Ed in a Pandemic', which was listed as 'a hilarious show about the ups and downs of a Sex Ed teacher, pandemics & friendship.'

Osato, who received LMCC grants since 2011, has won awards for her shows including Best Female Solo at the San Francisco Fringe, Best of Fest at Winnipeg, and accolades at past FRIGID NY arts festivals, according to her website.

'As stewards of public funds, it is crucial that we ensure that art that is financed by taxpayers is also appropriate and viewable for all New Yorkers, including children and families,' the One City Rising letter said.

One group funded by the Cultural Council, Shrew Brew, describes itself as putting on 'works by composers with uteruses to create space for the stories of people with uteruses', referring to women and non-binary musicians.

In its letter, which copied New York Mayor Eric Adams, OCR also claimed there was 'insufficient scrutiny' of LMCC grants and questioned 'whether a project was in fact, carried out at all' after receiving city funds.

Archives of LMCC events also show that the arts organization had direct links with the city's current leadership.

A member of the city council, Shahana Hanif, was previously paid through LMCC taxpayer grants for a poetry reading from her erotic diaries about sexual escapades in a public park.

In 2014, before her election as a councilor, Hanif received an 'honorarium' for performing at an LMCC event called 'Lust, With Some Caution! An Evening of Erotic Readings'.

At the titillating event, Hanif read her autobiographical prose about naked 'make-outs' in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, where 'we would walk deep into what was only greenery because I was always afraid that my father or some Bengali uncle or aunty would spot me without bra and catch a glimpse of my luscious 36 double Ds.'

She described how she 'envied the white women I had watched in porn. They knew how to maneuver the penis so comfortably […] I pushed him to direct me but I guess his lack of response and happy moans meant I was doing okay.'

And she confessed that when bedridden from Lupus, 'all I could think about was masturbating'.

A flyer for the event said performers were 'given a modest honorarium'.

The disgruntled non-partisan group argued in the letter that with the city facing budget restraints, it's the city government's responsibility to 'ensure they represent the best use of taxpayer dollars'.

 Mayor Adams announced cuts across all departments were necessary after the city spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on the migrant crisis, including NYPD officers to be cut by a fifth, education taking a $1 billion hit over two years and the borough's public libraries being forced to close their doors on Sundays.

One City Rising requested the council gave them a 'comprehensive' breakdown of how LMCC uses their funds, a review of the city's selection process for funding, ensure projects that are chosen have oversight to meet standards and a re-evaluation of where funds are currently going to with a focus on NYC's pressing needs.

The organization did acknowledge that cultural programming 'plays a vital role in our city's vibrancy and diversity' but argued that they need to align with the values of 'all New Yorkers'. 

One City Rising describes itself as a 'non-partisan, independent, grassroots organization dedicated to addressing New York City's most pressing issues', including homelessness, mental health and public safety.

Other grant recipients, Hanif, and LMCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.