Update on Lawsuit Regarding NEA Requirements

Yesterday, our colleague service organization Theatre Communications Group (TCG) joined an ACLU-led lawsuit challenging the National Endowment for the Arts’s (NEA) new Assurance of Compliance, which requires grant applicants to certify that they do not “promote gender ideology” and imposes restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The lawsuit, which can be read in full here, argues that the new certification requirement and funding prohibition violates the Administrative Procedure Act, the First Amendment, and the Fifth Amendment. 

Chorus America shares the goal of removing barriers to federal arts funding for all arts organizations, including those that center LGBTQ+ artists and artists from communities that have been marginalized. Creating inclusive spaces for all who sing together is fundamental to our mission, vision and values—and to the work of the entire choral community.  

Chorus America also supports the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA plays an essential role in making arts opportunities accessible to all Americans and provides critical support to choral organizations and to Chorus America itself. We will continue to advocate for the NEA’s annual appropriations in Congress and for the expansion of federal arts funding. We also support the dedicated individuals working at the NEA on behalf of the arts field.  

If you have an impact story to share about how the new guidelines are impacting your work, please complete our response form. Chorus America will continue to share updates on this lawsuit via email and our blog. We remain committed to supporting our member organizations navigating these challenges and to advocating for federal arts funding that includes the full choral community.