South Carolina Arts Commission Denies Funding to Two LGBTQ+ Groups
The South Carolina Arts Commission voted 5-3 on Oct. 1 to deny state grant funding to the Greenville Gay Men’s Chorus and the Spartanburg-based Proud Mary Theatre Company, the Charleston City Paper reported. While the agency distributed $3.7 million to 180 other cultural organizations, board members rejected the two groups after declaring their artistic missions to be ideological rather than purely artistic.
Commission Vote Splits Over Ideological Definition
During an emergency Zoom meeting, board members Russell “Rip” Parks of Easley, Jessica Rourke, Linda Stern, Bhavna Vasudev, and Danielle Thompson cast the opposing votes against the two arts organizations. Heidi Carey, David Hodges, and Barbara Nwokike voted in favor of funding them. In a Sept. 15 communication preceding the vote, the commission stated that “arts does not inherently promote ideology,” adding that any expression subject to more than one interpretation qualifies as art, while expressions with only one interpretation amount to promotion.
Governor McMaster Appointments and Prior LGBTQ+ Stances
Governor Henry McMaster appointed the commission board members who voted against the grants. McMaster has a documented record opposing LGBTQ+ rights in the state. In 2021, he requested an investigation into the graphic memoir Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobab, which subsequently led to its removal from Fort Mill School District high school bookshelves. Additionally, in 2022, he stated that he would support state-level bans on same-sex marriage if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 2015 ruling guaranteeing marriage equality nationwide, according to The Post and Courier.
S.C. Arts Alliance Offers Information and Resources
For further information and updates on arts advocacy in the state, the S.C. Arts Alliance maintains resources at scartsalliance.com.