President Trump signed an executive order eliminating federal protections for gender identity in education, health, and cultural programs. Agencies were directed to define sex “strictly as biological,” prompting the removal of inclusive policies in federally supported museums, libraries, and cultural spaces. The order restricts funding for anything using the term “gender ideology” or which refers to “gender” instead of “sex,” which will limit arts and cultural institutions as well as arts NGOs, as these are common terms in arts projects and in art history research. LGBTQ+ organizations warned this would chill artistic and public expression tied to queer identity. In February 2025, the National Urban League filed a lawsuit against EO 14168, arguing the administration’s restrictions on DEI and gender-identity policies violate civil-rights protections and free-speech rights.

A presidential memorandum directed the Administrator of the General Services Administration to submit recommendations promoting “classical and traditional” architectural styles for federal buildings. The directive discouraged contemporary architectural designs and called for revisions to federal architecture guidelines. The Society of Architectural Historians argued that the policy would impose rigid aesthetic preferences, disregard local artistic and architectural contexts, stifle design innovation, and limit artistic freedom.

Executive Order 14151, signed January 20, 2025, directed all federal agencies to terminate “all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities,” as well as all “equity-related” grants and contracts within 60 days. The order had implications for arts and culture agencies that receive federal funding, as it required them to review and revise grant programs and compliance requirements. Arts organizations expressed uncertainty over how the order would affect their eligibility for federal funding and which programs might be subject to termination. Executive Order 14151 has been challenged in court on First Amendment grounds, with plaintiffs arguing that its restrictions on DEI-related programs amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and suppression of protected speech.

President Trump issued an executive order reforming the federal accreditation process for higher education institutions. The order directed accrediting bodies to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards, which the administration characterized as “unlawful discrimination,” and to prioritize “intellectual diversity” among faculty. It instructed the Secretary of Education to investigate and potentially terminate accreditors that require DEI-related practices or who fail to maintain and “intellectually diverse” staff. Academic organizations warned the order could lead to government interference in institutional decision-making at universities, raising concerns about restrictions on cultural programming and curricula, particularly those addressing diversity, race, and gender.