Ted Cruz's "Rally for Religious Liberty" To Feature "Special Guests Victimized By Government Persecution"
Judge Grants Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis More Time For Her Appeal
"I Refuse To Give Into Fear": Julian Bond's Inspiring Fight to End Religious Discrimination
As we remember the civil rights pioneer Julian Bond a few days after his passing at age 75, we find that it is incredibly difficult to sum up his legacy in a single blog post. As co-founder and communications director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he led young people in the fight for true equality in America. As co-founder, president and board member of the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of our many allies, he fought hate and bigotry and sought justice for those most vulnerable in our community. As chairman of the NAACP, he worked to educate Americans on the civil right movement and the battles fought by African-Americans across the country. He was a legislator, a teacher, and hero to many.
Exciting New Regulations: Yes, It’s True
The government has a longstanding practice of giving taxpayer money to faith-based organizations to provide social services. Last week, nine federal agencies proposed changes to the rules that currently govern those partnerships. These rule changes will implement several important religious liberty protections, including some that are aimed specifically at protecting our neighbors.
Oklahoma Gun Store Manager Declares Shop a "Muslim Free Establishment"
Oklahoma gun store manager Chad Neal decided to take his anti-Muslim zeal public by officially declaring Save Yourself Survival and Tactical Gear a "Muslim free establishment" [sic]. The policy was apparently in response to the July Chattanooga, Tennessee shootings at two military installations by Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez.
Kentucky Clerk Defies Injunction and Again Refuses to Issue Marriage Licenses
If you're having trouble keeping up with the ongoing saga of Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk doggedly refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, you're not alone. Davis' discriminatory antics are coming fast and furious, and with today's latest outrage against decency and the rule of law, it's getting difficult to keep track.
Try, Try Again: Louisiana Rep. Plans To Float Discriminatory Bill A Second Time
Perhaps unable to sense the prevailing mood of the country and its courts, Rep. Mike Johnson plans on taking another crack at presenting a RFRA bill to the Louisiana legislature in 2016.
Big Bill: S.C. Ordered To Pay $135,000 In Legal Fees After Losing Marriage Equality Case
Now that marriage equality is officially on the books in the United States, the bills racked up by state officials who decided to listen to the Religious Right in defense of a lost cause are coming due. One of those debts is apparently pretty large, as a federal judge just ordered South Carolina to pay $135,000 in fees.
Texas AG Throws In Support With Religious Non-Profits Looking To Block Contraception Coverage
Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is in the news again, this time filing a friend-of-the-court brief in support of East Texas Baptist University's never-ending quest to avoid providing contraception to its employees.
Appeals Court Rules Against Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in Contraception Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled today that the Affordable Healthcare Act's contraception regulations and accommodations for religious non-profits do not adversely affect the rights of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and others to practice their religion.
Texas Judge Takes Down Roadblocks to Marriage Equality in Denton County
In July, Americans United issued a warning letter to Judge James R. DePiazza of Texas regarding his violation of the Fourteenth Amendment in erected roadblocks to marriage equality. We're pleased to announce that Judge DePiazza has removed the requirement that all couples married by him sign a written acknowledgement that he "'prefers to not conduct same-sex marriages' and must agree to refrain from mentioning the topic of marriage for same-sex couples 'before, during or after the ceremony.'" The new Denton County Wedding Letter and Receipt form no longer carries the discriminating language.
Kentucky Clerk Strikes Again, This Time With A Lawsuit Against the Governor
Not A Sweet Home For All: Alabama Senate Committee and Judges Looking Undermine Marriage Equality
No Persecution Here: IRS Commissioner Says Tax Agency Has No Plans To Punish Christian Colleges That Reject Marriage Equality
From the Wall of Separation blog:
The far right makes no secret of its hatred for the Internal Revenue Service, but recent comments by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen should earn the agency a few brownie points with fundamentalists who fear that Christian colleges will be forced to extend benefits to married same-sex couples or risk their tax exemptions.
Houston Non-Discrimination Law Sends Some Minds to The Gutter
With the Texas Supreme Court's ruling that Houston's non-discrimination ordinance must be put up to a public vote, the Religious Right is so pleased that a law that protects LGBT Americans is in danger that they have resurrected the "pervert" trope especially for the occasion.
August Declared "Traditional Marriage Month" in Longview, Texas
Birth Control Battles Continue
Bloomberg BNA’s Kimberly Robinson covers The Never-Ending Story: More Attacks on Obamacare’s ‘Contraceptive Mandate.’”
After discussing the ongoing legal challenges by nonprofit organizations to an accommodation that already relieves them of any obligation to include contraception in their health plans, Robinson points out that a federal appeals court recently reinstated a legal challenge by a Missouri state legislator who “claims the law forces him to provide his daughters with access to contraceptive methods that violate his religious beliefs, because his employer-provided health plan won’t allow him to opt out of contraceptive coverage.”
Colorado Activists Attack Equality Verdict
Earlier this month, two citizens filed two ballot measures in Colorado to undermine marriage equality. The first ballot measure would defy the Supreme Court's recent marriage equality decision Obergefell v. Hodges, by denying same-sex couples the right to marry and instead allowing them only the right to obtain civil unions. The second would allow wedding related businesses to refuse to serve same sex-couples and instead hire a contractor to serve these couples.
Clergy Know Their Rights. In This Letter, They Prove It
The First Amendment Defense Act was introduced last month by Sen. Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Labrador (R-ID) in response to the Supreme Court decision guaranteeing marriage equality. The bill would create a sweeping religious exemption that would allow government employees, contractors, and grantees to discriminate against same-sex couples, unmarried couples, and single parents. For example, it could allow a homeless shelter or food bank that receives federal grants to refuse to serve a same-sex couple in need.