An Oregon Judge Who Discriminated Against LGBTQ People Loses His Final Court Appeal

A state judge in Oregon who was disciplined for, among other things, refusing to perform weddings for same-sex couples won’t have his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

AU Supports Efforts To Put Kids First And Fight Religion-Based Discrimination

Religious freedom gives Americans the right to believe, or not, as they choose, but it does not give anyone the right to use their religious beliefs to discriminate against kids and families.

Why The Kavanaugh Fight Is Worth It

Does it make sense for Americans United to invest, as we have, in trying to defeat the nomination of Kava­naugh to the Supreme Court when the chances of victory have seemed remote? AU President and CEO Rachel Laser's answer: An emphatic yes.

Last Chance To #StopKavanaugh: Tell Your Senators To Vote ‘No’

Last Chance To #StopKavanaugh: Tell Your Senators To Vote ‘No’

Despite compelling, credible testimony yesterday from Professor Christine Blasey Ford who spoke at length that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers, the Senate Judiciary Committee today in a party-line vote agreed to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate for review.

Values Voter Summiters Make The Case For Using Religion To Harm Others

Values Voter Summiters Make The Case For Using Religion To Harm Others

During the Values Voter Summit (VVS) over the weekend, leaders and followers of the Religious Right made clear they plan to continue their attempts to weaponize religious freedom as a means to justify discrimination, particularly against LGBTQ people and women.

New Documents Affirm Kavanaugh's Hostility Toward Church-State Separation

New Documents Affirm Kavanaugh's Hostility Toward Church-State Separation

The Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh again yesterday, but we learned even more about his views on church-state separation from the “committee confidential” documents that Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) forced the committee to release yesterday morning.

Bush-Era Records Reveal Kavanaugh Was 'Walking Point' On Faith-Based Initiative

One of the issues that the Supreme Court will decide in next few years is whether religion can be used to undermine civil rights protections, especially those that protect LGBTQ people and women. What do we know about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s record on this issue? When he worked for President George W. Bush, he volunteered to be the point person on the “faith-based initiative”—a key component of which was allowing taxpayer-funded organizations that provide social services to use religion to justify employment discrimination.

What’s At Stake With Brett Kavanaugh On The U.S. Supreme Court? Reproductive Rights.

If you care about healthcare access and reproductive rights, then you should be concerned about Brett Kavanaugh as President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. His record indicates he’s hostile toward church-state separation and could allow religious beliefs to justify discrimination.

Trump Administration Launches Task Force To Aid In Using Religion To Discriminate

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of a “Religious Liberty Task Force” to enforce the Department of Justice (DOJ) guidance he issued last fall that would allow religion to be used to discriminate.

Justice Department’s ‘Religious Liberty Summit’ Offends The True Meaning Of Religious Freedom, Says Americans United

The U.S. Justice Department hosted a so-called “Religious Liberty Summit” today, an event Americans United for Separation of Church and State blasted as one-sided and inaccurate.

AU And Allies Urge Congress To #PutKidsFirst And Reject Discriminatory Aderholt Amendment

Ignoring the best interest of children, a few House Republicans have proposed allowing federally funded adoption and foster care agencies to use religion to discriminate against prospective parents and children in need. Americans United joined hundreds of civil rights and child welfare organizations this week in urging members of Congress to reject this cruel proposal.

Ignoring The Best Interest Of Kids, House Republicans Pass Amendment To Allow Adoption Agencies To Discriminate

House Republicans amended a spending bill to include language that would allow adoption and foster care agencies that receive federal funding to discriminate against qualified prospective parents and children in need based on the agency’s religious beliefs. The result: Kids could be denied stable, loving homes with prospective parents who are LGBTQ, single, previously divorced or even the “wrong religion.”

A Theocratic ‘Powerhouse’ Is Gaining Influence In The Courts

Today’s Washington Post includes a profile of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), referring to the organization as a “powerhouse.” You may know the ADF as the group that takes on cases of businesses who want the legal right to use religion to discriminate.

South Carolina Seeks A Right To Use Religion To Discriminate

Religious freedom is a fundamental value, but it does not permit government-funded providers to discriminate against the children and families they are supposed to serve.

The Do No Harm Act Protects Religious Freedom And Equal Protection Under Law

The Do No Harm Act Protects Religious Freedom And Equal Protection Under Law

Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) today introduced the Do No Harm Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill honors two core American values: religious freedom and equal protection of the law. And it couldn’t be more important right now.

An Oregon Public School Is Accused Of Discriminating Against LGBTQ Kids And Forcing A Student To Read The Bible

Oregon’s Department of Education (ODE) is investigating disturbing reports of potential violations of religious freedom and LGBTQ rights at a public high school. For us at Americans United, the implication that North Bend High School staff may have been using their personal religious beliefs to determine how they treat LGBTQ students is particularly alarming.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin Has Signed Two Bills That Undermine Religious Freedom

On Friday evening, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed two bills that undermine religious freedom: SB 1140, which allows state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to use religion to justify denying children homes and discriminating against prospective parents, and HB 2177, which authorizes every government building and public school to display the Ten Commandments.

In the Last Moments Of Their Legislative Sessions, Kansas And Oklahoma Put Religious Discrimination Ahead Of Kids

State legislatures in both Kansas and Oklahoma passed bills last Thursday (Senate Bill 284 in Kansas and Senate Bill 1140 in Oklahoma) that would allow state-funded child-placing agencies to use religion to justify denying children homes and discriminating against prospective parents.

Trump’s New ‘Religious Freedom’ Order Actually Undermines That Principle

In honor of the National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump, with his Evangelical Advisory Board by his side, held a ceremony in the Rose Garden and signed an “Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.”  Under the guise of religious freedom, this executive order further entrenches the administration’s policies to allow religion to discriminate.