Friend,

Americans United for Separation of Church and State will run two powerful, full-page color ads condemning taxpayer-funded religious discrimination on Sunday, Aug. 14.

“Taxpayer-Funded Antisemitism” reads the headline in the Los Angeles Times ad, which features Liz and Gabe Rutan-Ram, the couple who were denied services by a state-funded foster care agency because they are Jewish. Learn more about Liz and Gabe Rutan-Ram’s case.

The “Taxpayer-Funded Anti-Catholic Bigotry” ad in the Boston Globe showcases Aimee Maddonna, who was denied services by an agency that receives state and federal funds because she was the “wrong” kind of Christian–because she is Catholic. Learn more about Aimee Maddonna’s case.

We should never allow taxpayer-funded agencies to discriminate against prospective foster parents and mentors because they don’t live according to one narrow set of conservative religious beliefs. Our laws cannot allow anyone to use their religious beliefs to harm others, and especially not vulnerable children and admirable people like Aimee, Gabe and Liz, who want to help those children. Nor should taxpayers be forced to fund such discrimination.

AU is fighting multiple cases to ensure that the good and qualified people who want to help children in need of loving homes are never turned away because they fail to pass a taxpayer-funded agency’s religion test. We are fighting a well-funded crusade seeking to redefine religious freedom as a sword, not the shield it is meant to be.

AU’s Catholic and Jewish allies lauded the ads and lawsuits. Simone Campbell SSS, former leader of Nuns on the Bus, said, “The facts of the Maddonna case are shocking. How can children who need foster placement be denied a good home because the federally funded agency doing the placement does not like the ‘brand’ of Christianity of the proposed foster parent?”

“Allowing a taxpayer-funded child placement agency to discriminate is outrageous,” said Allison Padilla-Goodman, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southern Division, at the time the suit was filed.

Thanks to your support, Americans United has been defending religious freedom for all and protecting vulnerable children for 75 years. No family—and no child—should be denied the opportunity to create or enter into a loving, stable home because of religious discrimination.

In solidarity,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO