A Colorado Case Gives The Supreme Court An Opportunity To Say That Businesses Can’t Use Religion As An Excuse To Discriminate
Monday was the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case in which the high court recognized the rights of same-sex couples to marry. The Supreme Court chose that anniversary to announce it will review Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the case of a Colorado baker who refused to provide a wedding cake to a same-sex couple.
Supreme Court Accepts Case That Could Have Major Consequences For Religious Freedom And LGBTQ Rights
The high court has agreed to hear Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission during its next term, which begins in October. The case deals with a bakery in Lakewood, Colorado, that refuses to make cakes for the weddings of LGBTQ couples, citing the owner’s religious beliefs as justification for the refusal.
For Focus On The Family, The Focus Remains On Far-Right Politics
Vice President Mike Pence will be in Colorado Springs this Friday speaking at an event to mark the 40th anniversary of Focus on the Family (FOF), the fundamentalist Christian family ministry and Religious Right group founded by Dr. James C. Dobson, a child psychologist.
Taxpayer-Funded Child Welfare Agencies Can Now Use Religion To Discriminate In Texas
During Pride Month And Every Month, AU Stands With The LGBTQ Community
June marks Pride Month, a month dedicated to celebrating the strides made toward LGBTQ equality and the many LGBTQ activists that fought to achieve them. This Pride Month and every month, Americans United is proud to stand with our LGBTQ neighbors and oppose discrimination in the name of religion.
Texas State Senate Passes Dangerous Adoption Bill In Final Days Of Legislative Session
Federal Appeals Court Should Rule Religion Can’t Be Used As Excuse To Discriminate Against Gavin Grimm And Other Transgender Students
Another Loss For Those Wanting To Use Religion As An Excuse To Discriminate
Today the Kentucky Court of Appeals (the state’s intermediate appellate court) issued an opinion in another one of the series of cases involving a commercial business claiming it could refuse to serve a customer based on the religious beliefs of the owner. And it’s a loss for those who want to use religion to sidestep nondiscrimination laws.
Senators See Danger In Trump’s "Religious Freedom" Executive Order
Alabama Enacts Two Laws That Could Allow Discrimination Against People In The Name Of Religion
Under the guise of “religious freedom,” Alabama has enacted two laws in the last ten days that are aimed at allowing discrimination against LGBTQ couples and women. Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. It guarantees us the right to believe—or not—as we see fit. It does not, however, grant anyone the right to use religion to discriminate or harm others.
Kentucky Judge Uses Religion As Excuse To Refuse To Hear Adoption Cases Involving LGBTQ Parents
Trump's Executive Order Continues The Assault On Religious Freedom
Yesterday, during his National Day of Prayer ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, President Donald Trump continued his assault on religious freedom by signing an executive order. In a speech that reads more like a fake viral email than a presidential address, Donald Trump substituted showmanship for sincerity: While claiming to protect religious liberty, he trampled it.
Equality Act: Equality The Right Way
US Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and US Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) today introduced the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. It builds on our nation’s tradition of expanding civil-rights protections to ensure that more of our neighbors are protected from discrimination based on who they are.
AU And Allies: Michigan Funeral Home Can’t Use Religion To Justify Discrimination Against Transgender Employee
Texas "Religious Freedom" Bills Could Discriminate Against Children And Families
Americans United supports true religious freedom—the freedom to believe or not believe according to your own conscience. SB 892 and HB 3859 pervert this cherished American right, allowing taxpayer-funded child-welfare agencies to use their religious beliefs to harm children who need a caring home and the families that long to provide one for them.
Why We’re Fighting Religion-Based Discrimination in West Virginia
North Carolina Legislators Try (And Fail) To Ban Marriage Equality
On Tuesday, just before the filing deadline for bills for the North Carolina legislature’s regular session, state GOP legislators introduced a ridiculous anti-LGBTQ bill, HB 780, which would ban marriage for same-sex couples. Less than 24 hours later, House Speaker Tim Moore declared that the bill would not advance, effectively killing this misguided legislation.