Bogus Defense: U.S. House Holds Hearing On Bill That Would Violate First Amendment and Harm LGBT Persons
Tuesday was the one-month anniversary of the shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people. This has been a difficult month for the LGBT community, yet on the anniversary, House Republicans held a hearing on a bill aimed at allowing discrimination against same-sex couples and their families in the name of “religious freedom.”
Not One, But Three: All Versions Of FADA Sanction Discrimination In The Name Of "Religious Liberty"
Inappropriate Appropriations: U.S. House Approves Spending Bill Limiting Reproductive Rights While Boosting School Vouchers And Pulpit Politicking
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an important appropriations bill (HR 5485) on Thursday that will help fund the federal government for the next year. Tucked into this legislation are three troubling provisions that would weaken church-state separation and harm true religious liberty.
Congress Should Learn From FADA Backlash In The States
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced that it will hold a hearing on HR 2802, the deceptively named First Amendment Defense Act (FADA), on July 12. The Committee’s decision to hold this hearing is surprising given the backlash that states have faced when trying to pass and enact their own FADA legislation.
Federal FADA Hearing Set for July 12
It's official: Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced that he has scheduled a hearing on this harmful legislation for July 12, 2016 at 10:00 AM.
File Under: Troubling. Congress To Hold Hearing on Unconstitutional Bill
Discrimination Defeated!: A Miss. Law That Used ‘Religious Freedom’ To Undermine Rights Is Struck Down
A Mississippi law that purported to defend “religious freedom” by allowing state officials and others to discriminate against LGBT residents was scheduled to go into effect today. That won’t be happening, thanks to a federal court ruling.
District Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Barring Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Law
Federal Judge: Obergefell Will Be Enforced In Mississippi
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked a key provision of Mississippi’s HB 1523 that was scheduled to take effect this Friday. The new law—which Americans United has opposed since its introduction in February—would create sweeping religious exemptions for those who object to marriage equality, including county clerks who refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Legislative Blowback: One Year Later, States Are Trying To Undermine The Marriage Equality Ruling
Yesterday we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision that made marriage equality the law of the land. Today we want to remind you that there’s still much work to do.
Federal Court Refuses To Halt Enforcement of Mississippi's "Religious Liberty" Bill
A federal court in Mississippi has refused to halt enforcement of HB 1523, the Mississippi law passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s upholding marriage equality last year. The bill is apparently the brainchild of a Religious Right organization that has litigated denial-of-service cases across the country.
American Counseling Association Finalizes Convention Move Over Tennessee's Anti-LGBT Law
Accommodating Transgender Students In Public Schools Is Nothing New
What happens when a school district allows a transgender student to use the bathroom consistent with his or her gender identity? According to a recent article in The Miami Herald, not much.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The 2016 State Sessions, Part 2: The Bad And The Ugly
In part 1, we recapped the good— the harmful bills that were stopped. In today’s post, we cover the bad and the ugly of the 2016 state legislative sessions.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of The 2016 State Sessions, Part 1: The Good
Third Lawsuit Filed Against Mississippi's Governor Bryant Over "Religious Liberty" Law
It's been over two months since Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed the state's overly broad "religious liberty" bill into law, but neither he nor the bill has been able to rest easy.
Oklahoma's Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill Is Effectively Dead
Some Republicans Tire Of Culture War. Here's Why.
Oklahoma Senate Committee Passes Anti-LGBT Bathroom Bill That Allows For Religious Accommodations
Last week, we wrote about Oklahoma's SB 1619, one of a growing number of "bathroom bills" inspired by North Carolina's infamous HB 2. The very same day, Oklahoma's Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget voted to approve the bill, sending it to the Senate floor for a vote.