The SC Arts Commission Held Back Two Grants. Here's What They Have in Common..
What the South Carolina Arts Commission did, what happens October 1, and how you can help
The South Carolina Arts Commission approved about $3.7 million in grants this summer for more than 170 arts organizations. It held back two. Both are LGBTQ+ focused: the Greenville Gay Men's Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company in Spartanburg.
A vote is now set for October 1. Here is what happened, why it matters, and what you can do.
What happened at the South Carolina Arts Commission
At its August 20 meeting, the commission authorized about $3.7 million for more than 170 recipients, including museums, orchestras, and festivals across the state. It asked the Greenville Gay Men's Chorus and Proud Mary Theatre Company to defend their artistic merit before any decision on their requests. They are the only two groups out of nearly 180 required to resubmit for funding.
Both groups had already gone through the commission's normal grant review. Both were recommended for funding before commissioners stepped in, and both have received commission grants in the past.
The stated reason keeps changing
This is where the record matters. In a June 12 email obtained through a public records request, one commissioner wrote that public funds should not go to organizations "structured around specific sexual orientations" or to drag performances, and tied her position to recent federal executive orders.
By August, the explanation was artistic merit. The Post and Courier reported that the stated reasoning changed after the ACLU of South Carolina sent the commission a letter in mid-August. The ACLU says the commissioners' written objections were about subject matter and the people depicted in the art, not quality.
We think South Carolinians deserve a straight answer about which one it is.
A new "ideology" rule affects every grantee
The board also adopted a policy saying grant recipients cannot promote any ideology in funded work. On September 15, the commission issued guidance explaining that expression open to more than one interpretation counts as art, while expression that can only be read as promoting an ideology does not.
That standard is hard to apply fairly. The ACLU of South Carolina called it vague and warned that a rule like this invites personal bias. Every arts organization that takes state funding now works under it, not just these two.
The money is small. The message is not.
The dollar amounts are modest. The chorus, which has received operating support from the commission for the past three years, was set to receive $13,050. Proud Mary was set to receive $2,063 in grants plus $1,803 in bridge funds. Together, that is a tiny share of the total.
But the precedent is large. South Carolina law says state arts policy should encourage and assist the arts rather than limit the freedom of artistic expression. When two LGBTQ+ organizations are the only ones asked to prove themselves, other LGBTQ+ artists and groups will notice, and some may decide not to apply at all.
What happens next
The board moved its vote up from October 15 to a special meeting on October 1. Select board members met behind closed doors on September 17 to decide the questions for the two groups, which were delivered on September 18. They include whether the groups do work in K-12 schools and detailed budget and payee information. The October 1 meeting will not be held in person, but it will be viewable online at southcarolinaarts.com.
Neither organization's funding has been finally denied. That is exactly why this moment matters.
What SC Equality is doing
SC Equality has stood for LGBTQ+ South Carolinians since 2002. We are tracking this closely, working with coalition partners, and [confirm with James: attending/monitoring the October 1 meeting, coalition partners to name, any statement or public comment]. We will keep this page updated after the vote.
Email the executive director It opens with the message already written. Just add your name and hit send. Not a South Carolina resident? You can still send this one.
How you can help
Watch the meeting. Tune in October 1 at southcarolinaarts.com so the commission knows South Carolinians are paying attention.
Support the artists. The Greenville Gay Men's Chorus has set up a GoFundMe to help cover the possible shortfall. Click Here!
Stay in the loop. Join our network and we will send you updates and action alerts as this develops.
Fund the work. Advocacy, coalition building, and a presence at decision-making tables take sustained resources. Your gift keeps SC Equality in the room all year, not just when there is a crisis.
Equal means everyone.
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