News From The Week Of June 15 – June 19, 2020

Friend:

I bet you heard that on Monday, in a 6-3 decision written by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ people cannot be fired simply because of who they are or who they love. This stunning victory was a landmark win for the entire civil rights movement – but as AU’s legal team analyzed it in detail, we discovered a big “uh-oh” buried inside.

Justice Gorsuch’s opinion set the stage for a religious exception challenge. Specifically, it made clear that because the employers in these cases didn’t ask the court to consider religious accommodations, “how these doctrines protecting religious liberty interact with Title VII are questions for future cases.” Basically, employers who want to discriminate against LGBTQ employees now have an even greater incentive to cite their religious beliefs as a legal justification.

In the wake of the decision, I was quoted in The New York Times ([link removed]) and the Huffington Post ([link removed]) calling on the progressive secular and faith communities to work together to ensure religious freedom is a shield that protects, not a sword that causes harm. I also discussed the consequences of this decision for religious freedom more broadly on a podcast with CBN reporter David Brody from the conservative Christian Broadcasting Network: [link removed]

For a timely conversation about this decision, and what to expect from the several key religious freedom cases still to come this month, please join us on Tuesday, June 23rd, at 3 pm ET for a free virtual Supreme Court Briefing from AU’s legal experts: [link removed]

So much is at stake for religious freedom in the months ahead, and it’s your enduring support that makes it possible for the AU team to prepare and respond wherever church-state separation is under threat. Thanks for always being an integral part of our work.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

Here’s Some Good News About The Teaching Of Evolution In Public Schools:
A new report shows steady improvements in the teaching of evolution in U.S. public schools over the last decade.
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White Evangelical Support For Trump: What Lies Beneath?
In an excerpt from her new book, "Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump," author Sarah Posner explains that President Trump fluently speaks the language of conservative white Christian backlash against the expansion of rights for previously disenfranchised and marginalized Americans.
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Five Reasons Why White Evangelicals Are Unlikely To Abandon Trump:
Much like the December 2019 Christianity Today editorial calling for Trump’s impeachment, widely touted by pundits as a 'game-changer' pushing white evangelicals away from Trump, televangelist Pat Robertson’s recent criticism is likely to turn out to be a forgettable blip amid our current tumult.
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Why I’m Excited To Be Working At Americans United This Summer:
AU Communications Intern Rebecca Rifkind-Brown writes about why she’s excited to work for an organization that strives to protect the fundamental rights of American citizens.
READ MORE » [link removed]

The Supreme Court Upheld LGBTQ Rights Today – But There’s Still A Lot Of Work To Be Done:
Despite this ruling, the Trump administration isn’t about to let up on its assault on LGBTQ rights. Under Trump, the U.S. Justice Department came down on the wrong side of this case, arguing that Title VII should not be interpreted to protect LGBTQ people.
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