Kevin Rudd Hosted $25,000 Pride Party With Drag Queens
Image: Kevin Rudd with Aussie drag queen DJ Kitty Glitter. Source: @djkittyglitter on Instagram
Former PM and Australia’s current ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd apparently spared no expense on a Washington-based Pride month party in June 2023.
Documents obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald with Freedom of Information laws revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs spent approximately $AU25,000 for the party at White Oaks, the residence of the Australian ambassador.
The catering bill was the biggest cost at $US7,000, while balloon installations in celebration of Pride reportedly cost nearly $US3,000. Rudd also had two drag queens attend the event; Australian queen DJ Kitty Glitter was paid $US2,792 to fly to Washington and perform, while local queen Crystal Edge also performed a set for $US400.
DJ Kitty Glitter posted to Instagram at the time and thanked Kevin Rudd for the invite: “A wonderful and so welcoming affair, he made a very heartwarming speech that affirmed we as a LGBTQI+ community in Australia are so lucky to have a government that loves, respects and supports us!”
An interesting tidbit from the unveiled documents is the guest list. Staffers of Democrat senators and officials from numerous White House departments are to be expected, but a number of staff from Republican politicians like Kelly Armstrong, Tim Scott and Rick Scott; extra interesting, given the two unrelated Scotts were then pushing for a bill that would prevent schools from changing students’ pronouns.
Perhaps Kevin ‘07, Australia’s number one representative for handball, just knows how to throw a good party, especially compared to our commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith who cancelled last year’s Pride party at Australia House.
Rudd threw another Pride party this year and invited DJ Kitty Glitter back for a second time. The budget for this one is currently unknown, but it seems like it was another great time.
