News From The Week Of January 25 – January 29, 2021

Friend:

If the combination of the dark days of winter with the continuing pandemic is getting you down, you are not alone! I hope this email, filled with good news that you helped make happen, will bring some much-needed cheer.

I’ll start with two executive orders that President Biden signed this week which showcase that under the Biden-Harris administration, the “state” and the “church” are re-assuming an appropriate distance.

On Monday, we welcomed President Biden’s repeal of Trump’s cruel and unwise ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military ([link removed]). Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Council had even boasted that this policy was their idea. Then on Thursday, President Biden ended the global gag rule ([link removed]), which had barred U.S. funding for foreign organizations that provide health care overseas if they perform abortions or even offer information about them.

Back stateside, in Brevard County, Florida, religious freedom took another important step forward. On Tuesday, David Williamson, a director and co-founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, offered what is believed to be the first-ever secular invocation to open a meeting of Brevard’s Board of County Commissioners ([link removed]).

David was the lead plaintiff in AU’s lawsuit that we and our allies successfully settled last year when the commissioners in Brevard County agreed to stop discriminating against people who don’t belong to mainstream, monotheistic religions in selecting speakers to deliver invocations.

I’m proud of AU’s work to protect the rights of nontheists and those who practice minority faiths. As AU Associate Vice President and Associate Legal Director Alex Luchenitser, who has brought his tremendous talents to AU for twenty years now, said: “Elected officials across the country should follow the wise example Brevard County has now set by ensuring that no one is denied an opportunity to solemnize governmental meetings because of their beliefs about religion.”

How about that, friend – three pieces of good news; three steps forward for religious freedom; three more reasons to feel proud of our continued work to protect the separation of religion and government. Do you have any good news to share with me? After such a rocky start to 2021, I’d love to hear from you about anything that went right for you or your loved ones recently.

Thank you so much for being with us always – in good times and bad.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO

Americans United Has A New Action Network. You Should Join It:
When you join Americans United's Action Network, we’ll keep you informed about concrete actions you can take in your community and opportunities to be a more effective advocate.
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Americans United Gears Up To Oppose Private School Voucher Bills:
Private school voucher programs are bad public policy for so many reasons, including that they funnel desperately needed funds away from public schools to private, mostly religious, schools.
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Florida County’s Secular Invocation Respects Diversity:
Brevard County had been opening its meeting with invocations – always featuring speakers from large, monotheistic religions – for years. Yet when county residents offered to give secular invocations, they were denied.
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Progressive Christians Want To Tell Graham, ‘You’re Fired!’:
After the House of Representatives impeached Donald Trump for inciting the Capitol riot, Franklin Graham blasted the 10 Republicans who voted for impeachment. Graham went so far as to compare them to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for a payoff.
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Two New Americans United Lawsuits Target Offensive Last-Minute Trump Regulations:
Overturning rules like these generally requires a time-consuming and complicated process. Successful litigation might give us a speedier result.
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