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SAN SALVADOR – El Salvador's Ministry of Culture canceled a play by a drag troupe after receiving complaints on social media from conservative and religious groups in the country.

The play "Immoral" was scheduled for two performances. It was scheduled to be presented on Saturday, June 15th and Sunday, June 16th, at the National Theater, the most important venue in the Central American country. The production was developed by the Natural Innovation Project of Revolutionary Artists (INARI), considered the first queer arts company. But the second performance was cancelled due to criticism from conservative sectors who said it was "not suitable for families."

“The Ministry of Culture is directly attacking Christianity by supporting transvestites in mocking the religion,” wrote user Antonieta Martínez on her X account, in which she also questioned the Spanish and French embassies for ignoring an article in the country's Penal Code for an alleged attack on freedom of religion.

The Ministry of Culture is directly attacking Christianity by supporting transvestites in mocking the religion.
Do @culturasv , @EmbEsElSalvador, and @FR_El_Salvador know about Article 296 of the Penal Code?
Why isn't the law respected in 🇸🇻?

Cc @Mariemmpleitez1 @ericdoradea https://t.co/OnsOr1mwgl pic.twitter.com/C5YdhPPe8i

— Antonieta Martínez 🇸🇻 (@Anto_MarAO) June 16, 2024

“This is alarming, as the government approved it (the presentation). The Ministry of Culture reports to the presidency. President Nayib Bukele has repeatedly said he believes in God and that he is his guide, so why does he allow this mockery of Christianity?” posted a user identified as Salvadorans Against Gender Ideology.

This is alarming, as it was approved by the @Gobierno_SV @culturasv ministry depends on the @PresidenciaSV .

President @nayibbukele has repeatedly said that he believes in God and that he is the one who guides him, so why does he allow this mockery of Christianity? https://t.co/C9OHc6TBXt pic.twitter.com/alNL3v5fXs

— SALVADORANS against GENDER IDEOLOGY (@NOalaIDGSV) June 16, 2024

The cancellation

Hours later, the Ministry of Culture announced the cancellation of the play. They argued that the organizers omitted information in their application to lease the theater and that they failed to accurately describe "the content of their play, which turned out to be unsuitable for all audiences."

Authorities also confirmed that the company had not reached any co-production agreement.

“The Ministry of Culture deeply regrets this incident and assures the Salvadoran population that it will conduct a much more rigorous review of the content presented in our theaters, venues, and spaces to ensure that the established standards for the enjoyment of all Salvadoran families are met," the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

However, Ale Massimo, screenwriter, director, and lead actor, told Presentes that representatives from the Ministry assured him that the show was not canceled due to the content, but rather due to a rain emergency affecting the country.

In heels and with makeup

The show is made up of several stories of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse directed at different people. The play tells the story of an adult woman who learns that her best friend has been murdered.

Then, the woman arrives at her apartment, and all the ghosts of her past, the traumas society has inflicted on her, come to the surface. Throughout that night, she tells us that story and recounts the abuses she has endured.

"The show does not, under any circumstances, seek indoctrination of any kind or type. The show reflects a reality that exists in Salvadoran society," he noted.

INARI detailed in a statement that "Inmoral" is a remake of a script that has already been presented at the National Theater in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022, and which has always been performed in heels and makeup.

The group points out that the official government logo had already been used in the past. Furthermore, the content of the work was known to Ministry staff, they say. "The presentation dates were requested for 2023," they stated.

The country's LGBTI population has reported that, since taking office in June 2019, President Nayib Bukele has made decisions that violate the community's rights, such as eliminating the Secretariat of Social Inclusion, which housed the office of sexual diversity, and removing academic content containing "gender ideology" from schools.

In 2022, the government also banned the broadcast of content about sexual identity on state television. It also canceled a contract with a teacher training institute that broadcast an educational program after receiving citizen pressure alleging that it allegedly targeted students.

"It's not an attack on the content; the statement (from the Ministry of Culture) basically addresses the needs of the people who complained on Twitter (now X). The ministry tried to put out the scandal, but that was like trying to put out a fire with gasoline," he concluded.