Trump’s New ‘Religious Freedom’ Order Actually Undermines That Principle

In honor of the National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump, with his Evangelical Advisory Board by his side, held a ceremony in the Rose Garden and signed an “Executive Order on the Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.”  Under the guise of religious freedom, this executive order further entrenches the administration’s policies to allow religion to discriminate.

Kansas' Child-Welfare System Is In Crisis, But Legislators Are Making It Even Harder For Kids To Find Homes

In Kansas, dozens of foster children are spending their nights not in warm beds in safe homes, but on couches and cots in child welfare offices run by state contractors. These children need loving foster and adoptive families to provide the care they need. Yet, in spite of this crisis, Kansas legislators are trying to make it harder for these children to find families who can give them warm, safe beds.

Someone Else’s Religion Should Have No Power To Make You Invisible

Religious Right groups have worked hard to make the owner of the Colorado bakery that turned away Craig and Mullins into a victim of persecution and a hero. He is neither. He’s simply a person who wants to take an entire segment of our population and treat them poorly because of his narrow interpretation of a religious book.

Oklahoma Adoption Agencies Should Focus On Children And Reject Discrimination

Tomorrow, an Oklahoma House committee will take up Senate Bill 1140, a bill that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care entities to deny kids good homes in the name of religion.

Notre Dame’s Latest Decision Denies Students Their Right To Contraception

The University of Notre Dame has announced that its insurance plans for students and faculty will cover some, but not all, forms of contraception. The school's announcement is both discouraging and confusing.

One Of More Than 200,000 Stories Explaining Why The Trump Administration Must Put Patients First

Today, Americans United joined allies to deliver more than 200,000 comments from people objecting to the Trump administration proposal to create a sweeping religious exemption for healthcare providers that would allow them to use religion to justify denying healthcare to patients.

Time Is Running Out: Tell Trump Administration A Patient’s Health Should Always Come First

If you think that healthcare providers should always put patients first and that providers’ religious beliefs should never dictate patient care, we need you to tell the Trump administration today.

Michigan Case Brings Victory For Religious Freedom And Transgender Rights

A federal appeals court today issued a welcome decision in EEOC v. Harris Funeral Homes. The case involves a funeral home in Michigan whose owner fired an employee, Aimee Stephens, when she came out as transgender and announced that she would begin to wear women’s clothing. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sued the business for unlawful employment discrimination.

Tell The Trump Administration: A Patient’s Health Should Always Come First

If you think that healthcare providers should always put patients first and that providers’ religious beliefs should never dictate patient care, we need you to tell the Trump administration today.

Opposition To Georgia’s Anti-LGBTQ Adoption Bill SB 375 Is Growing

Opposition is growing since the Georgia Senate passed SB 375, a harmful bill that would allow government-funded adoption and foster care agencies to use religion to discriminate against kids in their care and prospective parents.

Denied Opportunity To Become Foster Parents, LGBTQ Couple Sues Government For Using Religion As An Excuse To Discriminate

Religious freedom is about fairness. It’s not fair to put the religious beliefs of government-funded service providers above the best interests of children in foster care.

Lawmakers In Two States Consider Mean-Spirited ‘Parody Marriage’ Bills

The latest attack on marriage equality from the Religious Right: Marriage would be between one man and one woman. All other marriages would be “parody marriages.”

Standing Together For The Separation Of Church And State

Rachel Laser, Americans United’s new executive director, introduces herself and her vision for building a coalition of advocates who understand that church-state separation is the foundation of religious freedom for all.

Georgia Adoption Bill Harms Children In The Name Of ‘Religious Freedom'

In Georgia, there are more than 14,000 children in foster care. Tomorrow morning at 8:00am, legislators there will debate a bill that would make it even harder for these children to find safe, stable, and loving homes.

State Legislatures Are Considering More Bills Than Ever to Allow College Student Groups to Use Religion to Discriminate

It’s February, and that means students across the country are back on college and university campuses for a new semester.  One of the highlights of campus life is joining student groups. But in some states, students at public universities could be denied the opportunity to participate in a student club because of who they are.

Notre Dame Flip-Flops Again, Will Deny Women Access To Some Forms Of Birth Control

The University of Notre Dame has flip-flopped again: Notre Dame President the Rev. John Jenkins announced this month that university-sponsored health insurance plans for students and staff will stop covering some forms of birth control. The decision will affect more than 17,000 people who rely on the school for health insurance.

In A Victory For The Women We Represented, Americans United Dismisses Challenge To Harmful Contraception Rules

Today, Americans United dismissed our lawsuit challenging harmful rules issued by the Trump administration in October 2017 that allow employers and universities to cite religious or moral objections in order to deny employees and students health insurance coverage of contraception. Although the rules still remain in effect, our plaintiffs will have access to birth control due to some fortuitous events.