News from the Week June 6 – June 10, 2022
Friend:
As we prepare for Supreme Court opinions any day now that could further erode religious freedom, I continue to work hard to remember that we have no choice but to continue to invest in making America the country we want it to be. This piece by Dahlia Lithwick in Slate was helpful to me, so I wanted to share it with you: [link removed]
Meanwhile, I’m happy to share some good news for church-state separation—a pair of recent court wins in two Americans United cases! On Tuesday, a federal appeals court allowed our lawsuit on behalf of Gregg Tucker to proceed. Gregg was an exemplary teacher and director of student life who was fired by a private Christian school in Colorado after he put on a school assembly to address pervasive racism there. The school’s attorneys at Becket Fund wrongly claim Gregg was a “minister” and that federal employment protections against race discrimination therefore don’t apply to him. But Gregg wasn’t a minister, and the court’s ruling allows him the opportunity to prove that in court. Read more here: [link removed]
A few days earlier, a federal court in California ruled in favor of our client the San Jose Unified School District, which has a policy that prevents official school clubs from discriminating against students. The district declined to recognize a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes that requires student leaders to sign an anti-LGBTQ statement of faith and “sexual purity” statement, effectively barring LGBTQ students from club leadership in violation of this school policy. The club sued the school district; a court last Friday declined to force the district to recognize the club while litigation is ongoing. Read more here: [link removed]
As we celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month and look ahead to our newest federal holiday recognizing Juneteenth and our country’s fight for racial justice, we at AU reaffirm our commitment to combating the misuse of religious freedom as a license for any type of discrimination—even as white Christian nationalists and the ultra-conservative members of the Supreme Court make that an uphill battle. It’s a battle AU has fought for 75 years, and we’re not going anywhere. Our nation’s promise of freedom without favor and equality without exception is worth it, no matter how long it takes to achieve.
With hope and determination,
Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO
P.S. If you’re in Washington, D.C., please stop by AU’s booth at Capital Pride from noon to 7 p.m. ET tomorrow and say hi! Or if you’re participating in Pride events in your community, please email me your photos or tag us at @americansunited on social media—I love to see the faces of AU supporters proudly defending freedom and equality for all. Happy Pride! Find more information about Capital Pride here: [link removed]
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A Maryland Woman Was Bothered By LGBTQ-Themed Books In A Public Library—So She Checked Them All Out:
Anti-LGBTQ extremists can police what library books their own children read, but they don’t have the right to deny books to everyone else’s children.
READ MORE » [link removed]
Take Note, Christian Nationalists: Transgender And Nonbinary Americans Are Determined To Live Their Authentic Lives:
The Pew Research Center just released data on transgender and nonbinary people that Christian nationalists aren’t going to like: A growing number of Americans say they know someone who is transgender or nonbinary.
READ MORE » [link removed]
Congressional Hearing Shines Light On Anti-Public School Advocates’ Goal Of Privatization:
A recent Congressional hearing led by U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) delved into the agenda of far-right politicians: attacking public education and replacing it with school vouchers for private, religious schools.
READ MORE » [link removed]
A Time For Joy And Commitment To Equality For All: Pride 2022
Alicia Johnson, AU’s National Organizer and Student Network Manager, writes that LGBTQ Pride Month is an important moment for both joyful celebration and recommitting ourselves to the fight for equality for all.
READ MORE » [link removed]
Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
Find additional details and a full list of events at [link removed]
June 13, 3 p.m. ET (Virtual): “SCOTUS: Where Will the Wall of Separation of Church and State Be?” Featuring AU’s Rob Boston. Sponsored by Encore Learning Presents and the Arlington, Va., Public Library. Join here: [link removed]
June 18, 7 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Banned Books,” presented by EveryLibrary.org. Sponsored by AU’s Orange County, Calif., Chapter. RSVP here: [link removed]
Date TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Carson v. Makin Post-Decision Briefing.” Likely to occur this month the day after the Supreme Court's decision in this church-state separation case involving public funding of private religious education. Featuring analysis by AU experts. RSVP here: [link removed]
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