Why Electric Literature Isn’t Applying to the NEA

The NEA’s new compliance requirements are anti-trans. Donate now to help us raise $15,000 to replace our annual grant.

Dear Reader, 

The National Endowment for the Arts has supported Electric Literature since 2016. Beginning in January, nonprofit arts administrators have closely followed Trump’s rash of executive orders, trying to anticipate how they might affect the NEA, a venerated and valuable organization that has been integral to Electric Literature’s work for nearly a decade. 

Earlier this year, the NEA released new compliance guidelines that, pursuant to an executive order that seeks to “restore biological truth to the federal government,” require applicants to certify that their programs do not promote “gender ideology.” Federal funding is contingent on this certification. The ACLU is challenging this requirement, but as of this writing, the case is unresolved. 

Frustrated and uncertain, I found myself, along with other editors, asking insidious questions like, “Does publishing trans writers constitute promoting gender ideology?” But to pursue this line of questioning is in itself a moral compromise. The term “gender ideology” is not only condescending, but like so much fascistic vocabulary, it is also unintelligible. I may not know what “gender ideology” means, but I do know that Electric Literature stands with trans writers and readers, and will continue to fiercely advocate for their rights, protection, and the full expression of their humanity. 

This August, HarperCollins will publish Both/And, an anthology of trans and gender nonconforming writers, edited by EL’s Editor-in-Chief, Denne Michele Norris, who is the first black and openly trans person to helm a major literary publication. This should be obvious but I’ll say it anyway: to agree to the NEA’s compliance guidelines, even while crossing our fingers and holding our noses, would not merely be hypocritical—it would be a betrayal of our staff, contributors, and community. 

For the last 9 years, Electric Literature has received between $10,000 and $15,000 from the NEA annually. The March 24 deadline passed yesterday, and Electric Literature did not submit an application. Today, I am asking our readers—who support trans rights, and who believe in Electric Literature’s mission to make literature more exciting, relevant, and inclusive—to stand with us. Please help us raise that same amount by April 15 and make a donation today. 

Thank you for your time and support.

In solidarity, 

Halimah Marcus
Executive Director, Electric Literature