In Thursday’s (4/3) Associated Press, Michael Casey writes, “A federal judge on Thursday denied a motion to stop the National Endowment for the Arts from barring funds to artists whose projects promote gender ideology, saying the agency no longer was doing it. Four arts groups sued the NEA last month, seeking a preliminary injunction over what they said were violations of the First Amendment, the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment. The requirements were initially added to grant application forms, following an executive order from President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge William Smith acknowledged that plaintiffs ‘demonstrated a likelihood of success that a ban on gender ideology would be a violation of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act.’ But because the NEA had rescinded the requirement about a week after the lawsuit was filed, Smith said an ‘injunction is not in the public interest at this time.’… The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued on behalf of the arts groups, acknowledged that the NEA no longer requires artists to promise that their projects aren’t promoting gender ideology. But it says the NEA still has criteria that refuses funding to projects that appear to promote this concept. It also expressed concerns that the NEA could eventually reinstate the ban.”
