Dear ,

I recently attended the Secular Student Alliance's annual conference, which the Secular Coalition for America was proud to sponsor.

As an alumnus of my Secular Student Alliance group at American University, it was a "full-circle" moment to address students as the Secular Coalition for America's Director of Governmental Affairs.

During my workshop, "Making an Impact on the 2020 Elections," I encouraged students to consider a long list of actions they could take. This included everything from debate watch parties to registering students to vote to hosting a candidate forum on campus. I also urged them, as individuals, to volunteer for a candidate who inspires them and to get active in the local chapter of their political party, whatever their political affiliation happens to be. 

One message I repeated to students over and over was, "No matter what action you take, bring your secular identity with you." We know that in order for elected officials and candidates to recognize secular Americans as a voting bloc, we need to be visible.

The good news is, our efforts to mobilize a secular voting bloc united by shared secular values is gaining traction, and the media is paying attention. Through globally recognized outlets like the Wall Street Journal, and locally focused sources like the LA Daily Times, we have been elevating discussion of the "nones" constituency. Thanks in part to that ongoing work, the Congressional Freethought Caucus, which was established in 2018, is growing in number and prominence.

With a crowded field of 2020 candidates, we recently launched our 2020 Presidential Candidate Tracker to make it easier for you to track candidates on religious freedom issues, and relevant personal information, such as the candidates' religious affiliation. To be as inclusive as possible, we have included Democratic, Green, Libertarian, and Republican candidates. If you have information you think we might be missing or have feedback on how we can improve this resource, please contact me directly at [email protected]. 

While we are engaging more than ever before in elections ahead of 2020, the Secular Coalition for America's priority number one is being your voice on Capitol Hill. While we lobby year-round, there is nothing more impactful than face-to-face meetings with constituents, so I hope you will join us for our Secular Lobby Day on September 26 and 27.

I am thrilled to share that we have been working with our member organizations, the American Humanist Association, Center for Inquiry, and Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, to lobby for the rights of nonreligious service members in the armed forces. The religious right's narrative conflating faith and patriotism, the basis for the dangerous rise of Christian nationalism in our country, has gone unchallenged for too long.

In our view, nothing destroys the "god and country" narrative more effectively than telling the story of the atheists in foxholes and nonreligious service members who have fought and served valiantly for good and country. Working with our partners, we are determined to tell that story and reverse the damage done by Christian nationalists, who view the military as yet another institution they feel biblically justified to use as a tool to impose their religion.

We are also making headway on our top lobbying issue this year: expanding access to secular, evidence-based addiction recovery programs for all Americans. We initiated this project with our partners at SMART Recovery and LifeRing, and thanks to the support and partnership of our member organizations, Center for Inquiry and Freedom From Religion Foundation, we are making progress by working with Members of Congress who previously didn't even have this issue on their radar.

What we are advocating for won't just end the regular deprivation of constitutional rights for those mandated to attend faith-based recovery programs, it is also a hugely impactful solution to a major public health crisis. The more Americans who have access to evidence-based options to get on a path to recovery, the more lives that will be saved.

I am writing this update from Salt Lake City, where I will be presenting this evening to the Atheists of Utah, sharing the latest updates from the Secular Coalition for America and encouraging their members to get involved. No matter where we go and what we do, we are always working to strengthen and empower secular constituents and communities to have a strong voice on Capitol Hill.

Thank you for continuing to support our mission, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about our work or how you can help.

Warmly,
Sarah