News from the Week June 13 – June 17, 2022
Friend:
The last week has been filled with competing images—beautiful photos of so many people celebrating LGBTQ Pride Month in local events, and stories of hate directed at LGBTQ people that remind me our work is not finished.
I was proud to join Americans United staff at Capital Pride in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. We distributed “United for Pride” fans, “Defend LGBTQ+ Rights For All” stickers, AU “chip clips” and other AU swag while talking to people about our mission to stop religious extremists and their lawmaker allies from misusing religious freedom as a license to discriminate. There was a lot to talk about—from our lawsuits, like those defending prospective LGBTQ parents rejected by taxpayer-funded foster care agencies because they couldn’t pass the agencies’ religious tests, to fighting federal policies and state bills aimed at legalizing discrimination in health care, public education, social services, and employment.
The folks at Pride don’t need us to explain how church-state separation is integral to protecting rights for LGBTQ people and everyone else—they get it. But many of them didn’t know about AU. That’s why it’s so important to have these conversations with your friends and to tell them about AU. Many of the young people who are joining AU’s ranks today are LGBTQ or are drawn to AU because of our work on behalf of the LGBTQ community.
But while I was at D.C.'s Pride, police in Idaho were processing more than 30 members of the white-nationalist group Patriot Front who were arrested for conspiracy to riot at a local Pride event: [link removed]. And video was surfacing of a pastor at a notoriously anti-LGBTQ church in Texas encouraging the government to kill LGBTQ people: [link removed]
Politicians in states like Florida and Texas are passing laws and policies that roll back rights and villainize LGBTQ people. And that’s just one part of the religious extremist agenda. They will not give up until the laws of our country force all of us to live by their narrow beliefs.
Now I’m going to say something that you already know: We cannot progress toward freedom without favor and equality without exception without recommitting ourselves to the fight for church-state separation and bringing others along too. Your support and advocacy not only keep us going, they bring rainbows and sunshine during tough times.
With hope and determination,
Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO
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As The Supreme Court Redefines ‘Religious Freedom,’ Faith Groups Plan To Push Back:
The religious freedom of many whose faith permits or may even compel abortion in some cases will be violated if, as expected, the U.S. Supreme Court abolishes the constitutional right to abortion and allows states to ban the procedure.
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In The Wake Of The Uvalde Massacre, Talk Of School Prayer Is Yet Another Distraction:
Christian nationalists and their GOP allies will do anything to avoid overdue discussions about guns, violence and school safety—like blame school shootings on the lack of coercive prayer in public schools.
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House Committee Must Not Overlook The Role Christian Nationalism Played On Jan. 6, 2021:
As congressional hearings into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol continue, let’s not forget that a cohort of Christian nationalists were among the insurrectionists that day. A year and a half after the fact, they continue trying to downplay what happened or portray members of the mob as patriots.
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Pride Comes Back To D.C.—And Americans United Was Right There:
After an absence of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington, D.C., Capital Pride Festival was back—and Americans United was there.
READ MORE » [link removed]
Get Involved—Check Out AU’s Upcoming Events:
Find additional details and a full list of events at [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]
Date TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Kennedy v. Bremerton School District Post-Decision Briefing.” Likely to occur this month the day after the Supreme Court's decision in this church-state separation case involving coercive prayer at a public school. Featuring analysis by AU experts. RSVP here: [link removed]
July 16, 7 p.m. ET (Virtual): “Steve Velkei on the Fight for Hoag Hospital,” featuring the attorney who helped a community hospital gain independence from a large health care system. Sponsored by AU’s Orange County, Calif., Chapter. RSVP here: [link removed]
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