ACLU-Led Lawsuit for NEA Funding Relief Denied

AMERICAN THEATRE: Yesterday the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island denied a request for preliminary relief in the American Civil Liberties Union-led lawsuit challenging the National Endowment for the Arts’ funding restriction tied to “gender ideology.” The court maintained that the NEA’s decision on Feb. 6—to make any project that “promotes” what the government deems to be “gender ideology” ineligible for funds—likely violated the First Amendment and exceeded its statutory authority. But the court concluded that since the NEA is in the process of determining whether to reimpose that ban, the court could not get in the way of the agency’s decision-making.