The artistic groups launch a trial against the restrictions of subsidies linked to the ideology of the genus of NEA due to the executive decree of Trump: NPR

The artistic groups that do or support work -based work on people and problems LGBTQ + continue the National Arts Endowment (NEA) in response to new rules imposed by the Trump administration requiring the candidates of the granting accept not to promote “the ideology between the sexes” in their work.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the complaint in the name of Rhode Island Latino Arts, the National Queer Theater, the theater offensive and the theatrical communications group In the US District Court of the Rhode Island District on Thursday.

It is a race against the clock: the trial has only three weeks before the deadline for the current NEA financing cycle on March 24, leaving artistic groups wondering if their applications will succeed – or if they can request funding.

The trial seeks to prevent the federal agency which grants subsidies to artistic organizations at the national level of the implementation of the executive decree 14168, which President Donald Trump signed on January 20. Following the Order, entitled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government”, “NEA has asked subsidy applicants to certify that they will not use federal funds to” promote genres. “.

In an interview with NPR, ACLU’s main lawyer, Vera Eidelman, said the ban on “sex ideology” of NEA was unconstitutional under the first and fifth amendments. She said it also raped the master status of the NEA.

“This new ban is directly against the point of NEA and at the point of art in general, which is to explore ideas, to explore the diversity of human experience,” said Eidelman. “Forcing the artists to be a spokesperson for government views is really going against this.”

“It is a cruel irony that we can now be ineligible for funding because our so-called” gender ideology “is targeted by the American government,” said Adam Odsess-Rubin, founding artistic director of the National Queer Theater, in an online statement. The company based in New York is looking for funding for its next Criminal queerness Festival focusing on playwrights from countries with strong anti-LGBTQ +laws. “These new requirements threaten the expression not only of our organization, but artists from around the world whose identities have been criminalized.” The National Queer Theater was offered a subsidy for 2025, but the price is “treatment pending”.

The NEA did not respond to a request for comments.

The agency was the target of protests for having imposed this restriction and other surveys of the executive order of Trump.

He recently had to resume another rule linked to the executive order asking the subsidies to certify that they, “does not manage any program promoting the diversity, equity and inclusion ” (DEI) which violate the applicable anti-discrimination laws, in accordance with executive order No. 14173″ After the National Association of Agents of Higher Education Diversity and other groups continued the Trump administration last month and won.

The NEA was not involved in this trial. But like many other federal agencies, he then had to update his conformity insurance. The Arts Agency now declares that it “currently does not ask any beneficiary or entrepreneur to make a” certification “or another representation in accordance with decree n ° 14173.”

Eidelman said his team asked the court an accelerated hearing and issuing a preliminary injunction or a temporary ban order.