US Ambassador to Australia Kevin Rudd spent around $20,000 on an LGBTQI+ Pride party at his Washington DC home last June, flying in an Australian drag queen to DJ.
The cost of the lavish party, held at Mr Rudd’s official residence in White Oaks, was revealed in a Freedom of Information request filed by Nine Newspapers with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
According to the FOI documents, a whopping $4,500 was spent on balloons and $10,000 on catering.
The entertainment cost more than $5,000, with Australian drag queen Kitty Glitter paying around $3,000 to perform. In addition, Australian taxpayers footed the bill for the performer’s domestic flights to Washington and other incidental costs.
Another Washington drag queen, Crystal Edge, who goes by “DC’s Resting Bitch Face” on Instagram, was also paid about $600 to perform.
The guest list reportedly included prominent diplomats and media figures, plus elected Democratic and Republican representatives from Congress and the Senate.
The decadent party was held just three months after the former Labor prime minister became Australia’s delegate to Washington.
Kitty Glitter, described as the “world’s most famous drag DJ”, posted a photo with Mr Rudd on the artist’s Instagram last year.
Australia’s US Ambassador Kevin Rudd poses with drag queen Kitty Glitter in June last year, after the performer was flown to Washington at taxpayers’ expense to DJ at an extravagant Pride party.
Kitty Glitter was invited to the residence of Mr Rudd’s ambassador for the second Pride party this year
“A beautiful and welcoming event, he (Mr Rudd) gave a heartwarming speech reaffirming how lucky we as the LGBTQI+ community in Australia are to have a government that loves, respects and supports us,” Glitter wrote in the caption.
Earlier, Kitty Glitter posted the official letterheads from the Australian Ambassador on the invitation they received to perform.
“I get super excited when I get a new request to perform at a special event, but sometimes I get overwhelmed,” the drag queen wrote.
‘Just as I was proud when I was invited to perform at Lady Gaga and Elton John’s parties, I was also thrilled when I received a request from the Australian Embassy in Washington DC to perform at their invitation-only ‘PRIDE’ party at the Ambassador’s residence!’
‘I was supposed to go to Orlando on Thursday, before my show at One Magical Weekend on Sunday, but when an official at the Australian embassy says, “You’re an Australian LGBTI cultural icon” while inviting you to celebrate with them, you do your best to make it happen!
“What an honor to be invited to be a part of this unique (and oh-so patriotic) opportunity in DC.”
On June 14 this year, Kitty Glitter posted a second photo of herself posing with Mr Rudd, indicating that they had been asked to perform at another Pride party.
Kitty Glitter enthusiastically posted the letterhead of the invitation to DJ at the party at Mr. Rudd’s official residence in White Oaks
Washington DC-based drag queen Crystal Edge (pictured centre) was also paid to perform at Mr Rudd’s Pride party last year
“A fantastic evening of Pride at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC,” wrote Glitter.
‘SUCH an honor to be invited again this year.’
According to Glitter’s Instagram account, the Sydney-based artist, who has performed at the city’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras for more than 15 years, was already in DC ahead of the festivities, where she took part in the city’s Pride celebrations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.