Order denying grants to artists over 'gender ideology' violated First Amendment

20/9/2025 12:17

A federal judge on Friday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from disfavoring arts organizations deemed to be promoting "gender ideology" when deciding which ones should receive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.



U.S. District Judge William Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, ruled that a policy the NEA adopted to implement an executive order Trump signed was unlawful and violated the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.



Smith, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, said the policy improperly restricts artists’ speech because it "assigns negative weight to the expression of certain ideas on the issue of gender identity."



Vera Eidelman, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union representing the four arts and theater organizations that sued over the policy, in a statement called the ruling "an important victory for freedom of speech and artistic freedom."



The NEA and White House did not respond to requests for comment.