The University of Notre Dame has flip-flopped again: Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins announced this month that university-sponsored health insurance plans for students and staff will stop covering some forms of birth control. The decision will affect more than 17,000 people who rely on the school for health insurance.
Education Department Announces It Will No Longer Act On Transgender Student Bathroom Complaints
Yesterday’s announcement is more of the same from the Trump administration: They are putting in place policies that could result in discrimination against women, LGBTQ people, and others, often using religion as an excuse to do so.
California Judge Rules Bakery Can Refuse To Serve Same-Sex Couples
This week, a California judge ruled that Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, California, can violate the state’s nondiscrimination law and refuse to serve same-sex couples. The bakery had used religion as an excuse to turn away Mireya and Eileen Rodriguez-Del Rio when they tried to buy a cake for their upcoming wedding reception—the judge ruled the bakery had a constitutional right to do so.
In A Victory For The Women We Represented, Americans United Dismisses Challenge To Harmful Contraception Rules
Today, Americans United dismissed our lawsuit challenging harmful rules issued by the Trump administration in October 2017 that allow employers and universities to cite religious or moral objections in order to deny employees and students health insurance coverage of contraception. Although the rules still remain in effect, our plaintiffs will have access to birth control due to some fortuitous events.
Declaring Victory For Plaintiffs, Groups Withdraw Lawsuit Against Trump Administration’s Harmful, Discriminatory Birth Control Rules
Today, Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), joined by co-counsel Dentons, withdrew their legal challenge to the Trump administration’s interim final rules allowing virtually any employer or university to refuse to provide birth control coverage based on religious or moral objections.
The State Of The Union That Wasn’t
How To Translate Trump’s State Of The Union Address
Tonight, President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address to Congress and the American public. As he’s done in speech after speech during the first year of his presidency, he’ll likely claim he’s protecting religious freedom when in reality he’s doing the exact opposite by advancing policies that promote discrimination in the name of religion, politicize houses of worship, and compel taxpayers to fund religious schools.
AU And Allies Support PA School District’s Inclusive Transgender Policy
New Trump Administration Rule Threatens Americans’ Healthcare, Says Americans United
The Trump administration today issued a rule aimed at allowing healthcare workers to use religion as a reason to deny patients medical care. The move comes in the wake of the administration’s Jan. 18 decision to create a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The new office will be tasked with enforcing today’s rule.
New HHS Office On ‘Religious Freedom’ Endangers Americans’ Health, Says Americans United
Today, the Trump administration created a Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This new division will enforce the administration’s extreme and harmful interpretations of federal religious freedom laws. In addition, it will enforce a still unreleased rule that will allow health care workers to use religion as a reason to deny services to patients.
The Trump Administration Plans To Allow Religion-Based Discrimination In Your Healthcare
The Trump Administration today is expected release yet another new rule aimed at allowing religion to be used to discriminate against women and LGBTQ people.
We’re Watching To Make Sure State Legislatures Don’t Permit Religion To Be Used To Discriminate
Religious Freedom laws should be a shield to protect religious freedom, not a sword used to harm others. But this year, as in past sessions, legislators continue to introduce so-called religious freedom bills that would allow taxpayer-funded social service providers, individuals, and businesses to use religion to discriminate and deny people their rights.
On Religious Freedom Day, Let’s Recommit To Defend That Vital Principle
Today we celebrate Religious Freedom Day. After nearly a year of the Trump-Pence administration’s unwavering attacks on the freedom of religion and belief, some might wonder what there is to celebrate. But today, we can be thankful for the fact that Americans United has been successful in fighting many of the administration’s reckless assaults on this core freedom.
AU’s 2018 Student Essay Contest Asks Youth To Identify Threats To Church-State Separation
Today Americans United is launching its 2018 Student Essay Contest!
Here Are The Top Ten Church-State Stories From 2017
Americans United Applauds Another Federal Court Ruling Blocking Trump Birth Control Regulations
A federal court in California today issued an order temporarily blocking implementation of the Trump administration’s rules that allow employers and universities to cite religious or moral objections to restrict employees’ and students’ access to birth control. This is the second federal court to block the rules from going into effect.
Kentucky Judge Reprimanded For Refusing To Hear Adoption Cases Involving LGBTQ Parents
Kentucky’s Judicial Conduct Commission this week reprimanded a judge who made headlines earlier this year for refusing to hear adoption cases involving LGBTQ parents.
A Federal Agency Is Hiding Public Comments About Its Policies Concerning Faith-Based Organizations. AU Would Like To Know Why.
A Federal Court Has Blocked Trump’s Regulations That Would Deny Countless Women Access To Birth Control
A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Friday blocked rules that the Trump administration issued last October that would allow any employer or university to use religion as an excuse to deny their employees and students health insurance coverage for birth control.
Roy Moore Won’t Be Joining The US Senate. Here’s Why That’s A Good Thing
The people of Alabama did America a favor last night by voting against Roy Moore for a seat in the US Senate. Moore is just what we don’t need right now. His disdain for fundamental American values—from religious freedom to civil rights and equality to the rule of law—makes him a danger to our democracy.