NEA nixes certification requirement restricting federal arts grants after ACLU lawsuit

RI district judge to issue ruling on federal arts grants supporting ‘gender ideology’

By April 4, Rhode Island District Judge William Smith plans to rule on the constitutionality of the National Endowment for the Arts' recent amendment stating that projects deemed in support of "gender ideology" would not receive grant funding.The NEA is a federal agency that provides grant funding for the arts and art education. The amendment to its legal funding requirements followed Trump's Jan. 20 executive order stating that federal agencies…

NEA nixes certification requirement restricting federal arts grants after ACLU lawsuit

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) agreed Friday to remove a certification requirement that forced artists to attest that they would not "promote gender ideology" to secure federal grants. This comes less than a day after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Rhode Island filed a lawsuit challenging the certification requirement, which the NEA implemented after President Donald Trump signed an executive or…

Court Hears Arguments in First Amendment Challenge to Federal Arts

Changes to NEA policy in response to ACLU lawsuit do not solve the problems for arts organizations or deprive court of jurisdiction, attorneys argue On behalf of art organizations, the ACLU and the ACLU of Rhode Island argued today that an ideological restriction from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on grant funding violates the First Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Administrative Procedure Act. In response to an executive orde…

NEA Drops Requirement That Applicants Agree to Anti-Trans Guideline

The move comes just a day after the ACLU filed a suit on behalf of a number of arts organizations, though for now the "gender ideology" language is still part of the grant awarding process.

NEA Suspends 'Gender Ideology' Pledge for Artists; Funding Ban Remains Amid ACLU Lawsuit

The National Endowment for the Arts has agreed to remove a certification requirement that forced artists to attest that they will not “promote gender ideology” in order to apply for funding while the outcome of the case from the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Rhode Island is pending.

ACLU Sues NEA Over Adherence to Trump Anti-Trans Mandate

The American Civil Liberties Union on March 6 filed suit against the National Endowment for the Arts, accusing the latter of enforcing the Trump administration executive order forbidding grant applicants to “promote gender ideology” in their work. The ACLU lodged its complaint with the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island on behalf […]