Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's 'Gender Ideology' Art Grant Restrictions

A federal judge in Rhode Island blocked a Trump administration policy that sought to disfavor arts organizations promoting "gender ideology" from receiving National Endowment for the Arts grants, ruling it unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The policy implemented an executive order by President Trump mandating recognition of only two sexes and prohibiting federal funds from promoting "gender ideology." The judge noted the policy improperly restricted artists' speech by assigning negative weight to certain ideas related to gender identity and lacked statutory authority to impose such viewpoint-based restrictions. The American Civil Liberties Union represented four arts organizations that argued the policy forced them to self-censor or alter projects involving transgender or LGBTQ themes. Despite the NEA's attempt to revise the policy to assess grant applications on a case-by-case basis, the court found this still violated free speech protections. This ruling is considered a significant victory for artistic freedom and free expression rights under the Constitution.