News From The Week Of April 27 – May 1, 2020

Friend:

I hope this update finds you safe and healthy as we begin yet another month in an unprecedented and unsettling time.

This week, Americans United filed two more coronavirus-related friend-of-the-court briefs – this time opposing the demands of churches in California and Kentucky for religious exemptions to temporary bans on large gatherings. Read more about them here: [link removed]

In addition to our new COVID-19 work, AU is busier than ever with our traditional work of preventing the misuse of religious freedom as a license for discrimination against women, LGBTQ people and others.

Even amid this crisis, these same threats to church-state separation are as real and imminent as ever.

In a new Masterpiece Cakeshop-like case, AU, joined by 14 religious and civil rights organizations, urged the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm that religious freedom gives us all the right to believe, or not – so long as we don’t harm others. Read our brief here: [link removed]

That principle will be tested again in the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, when the Court will hear arguments (by telephone!) in Trump v. Pennsylvania, a case involving the Trump administration’s dangerous rules that would allow employers and universities to invoke religious or moral beliefs to deny birth control coverage to employees and students. These are the very same rules that Americans United is challenging in our own lawsuit filed with the National Women’s Law Center and the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of University of Notre Dame students.

Are you craving a new experience? Come to a virtual rally on Tuesday, May 5th, where I will join our allies and urge the Supreme Court to protect both religious freedom and reproductive freedom.

To attend this rally from home, click here to learn more and RSVP now: [link removed]

Your support and dedication in this moment keep us going and makes our country better. Thanks for being with us, friend.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

In The Middle Of A Pandemic, Missouri Is Taking Aim At Public Education With Vouchers And Bible Classes:
In Missouri, state legislators are advancing bills to weaken public education.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Religious Freedom Confers No Right To Discriminate, AU Tells Federal Appeals Court:
Many shops and businesses across the country are closed now, but in some states, they’re starting to reopen. As they do so, we’re going to see a resurgence of the dangerous assertion that religious freedom can be a vehicle for discrimination.
READ MORE » [link removed]

The Coronavirus And Church-State Separation: An Update Of The Latest Developments:
Americans United continues to monitor news related to the effect of the coronavirus on church-state separation. Here’s a round-up of recent news.
READ MORE » [link removed]

Separating Together: Living – And Learning – During The Coronavirus Outbreak:
Over the last few weeks, we've been sharing recommendations of books, articles, podcasts, movies, and other resources you can check out if you have some extra time on your hands and are trying to keep occupied. Read the updated list today, and keep an eye out for new additions!
READ MORE » [link removed]

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Americans United for Separation of Church and State
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