Friend:

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something."

I used those words from historian Howard Zinn to begin my speech to the Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last week, where I talked about the future of church-state separation in America. Zinn’s words are a powerful reminder that even during dark times—and make no mistake, this is a dark time for our country—we all need hope to effectively fight back.

That’s often easier said than done, but I’m seeing many reasons for hope right now. A big, obvious sign: On Tuesday, Kansans delivered a decisive win in the national battle for abortion rights. Voters there demonstrated that even in a deeply conservative state, people strongly believe that they—not religious extremists or politicians—should get to make their own decisions about reproductive health care.

While we’re celebrating victories, I wanted to share some of the legal milestones we’ve reached in several of our cases this summer. Along with our co-counsel at Lambda Legal, we were able to help Kelly Easter of Tennessee pursue her wish to foster unaccompanied refugee children. More than two years ago, Kelly was rejected by a taxpayer-funded foster care agency because, as a lesbian, she didn’t pass the agency’s religious test. But after we filed a federal lawsuit on her behalf, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told the federal government it no longer has a religious objection to working with her. Kelly now can participate in the program and provide a safe, loving home to a child in need.

Fatma Marouf and Bryn Esplin in Texas were similarly denied by a federally funded foster care agency because, as a married, same-sex couple, they don’t “mirror the Holy Family.” After nearly four years of legal wrangling, we finally were able to reach the point of filing a motion for summary judgment last week, urging the federal court to rule in the couple’s favor because the government is unlawfully enabling discrimination against prospective LGBTQ foster parents by organizations that receive taxpayer funds. Fatma and Bryn showed their thanks by sending us this lovely bouquet, pictured below, but we owe them our gratitude for their willingness to publicly confront this misuse of religious freedom to license discrimination.

When I talked to a class of students at Harvard University this week, I explained that the silver lining in the efforts of our well-funded opposition trying to force America back into the past is that people are waking up to the threat of religious extremism. If we’re to preserve our democracy, we need a national recommitment to the separation of church and state. With your support, Americans United will be leading this recommitment campaign—stay tuned for news on that soon. Together, we will reach our country’s ideals of freedom without favor and equality without exception.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO