LGBTQ Archives - American Atheists

Trump Administration Allows Religious Health Care Providers to Discriminate, as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Hit Two Million

American Atheists — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 21:42:02 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, American Atheists denounced the decision by the Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services to finalize a health care rule that allows for increased discrimination amid a global pandemic. As a result of this rule, broad and unjustifiable religious exemptions will weaken Section 1557—the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act—allowing health care providers to opt out of nondiscrimination rules. This will have a significant negative impact on health care access for transgender and gender nonconforming patients, pregnant women, women seeking reproductive services, and non-English speakers. “It is unconscionable that the Trump Administration is opening the door to discrimination against vulnerable groups at a time when they particularly need health care,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “Not only are these people among the most hard hit by the pandemic, but they can now be denied essential health care simply because of who they are. The health and well-being of millions and millions of Americans is now even more at risk.” In August 2019, American Atheists submitted testimony opposing the Department of Health and Human Services’ proposed rule. Yesterday, the United States became the first country with more than two million coronavirus cases. “There could not be a worse time for the Trump Administration to rubber stamp discrimination,” added Gill. “When this rule goes into effect, health care providers will be able to deny treatment to people that desperately need it, based on their own religious beliefs, rather than the best interests of their patient.” “The health care discrimination rule sends the message that unless you abide by Evangelical Christianity’s worldview on sexuality and gender, your life doesn’t matter,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “It’s just the latest attack on LGBTQ people by this administration under their distorted vision of religious liberty.” “If a transgender patient walked into a hospital seeking treatment for COVID-19—or any injury—this rule would allow doctors to turn them away without repercussions,” added Fish. “No matter what word games the Trump Administration wants to play here, it’s discrimination. Plain and simple. Saying I’m disgusted doesn’t even begin to describe my reaction to today’s announcement.”

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Let’s Not Forget the Trump Administration Has Spent Years Attacking Public Health in the Name of Religion

Alison Gill — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:57:27 +0000

Last week, Donald Trump announced his intention to reopen the United States by Easter despite health experts’ warnings (although he’s since walked back his comments). “It’s such an important day for other reasons,” Trump said in an attempt to ingratiate himself further with his evangelical base, imbuing this deadly decision with religious significance. “I just think it would be a beautiful timeline.” And it’s no coincidence that the President’s religious extremist supporters echoed this anti-science position. R.R. Reno, editor of the influential religious magazine, First Things, advocated for pulling the plug on life-saving coronavirus safety measures. “There is a demonic side to the sentimentalism of saving lives at any cost,” he wrote in a recent opinion column. “There are many things more precious than life.” Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of one of the largest evangelical universities in the world, demanded that Liberty University students return to campus, endangering their lives, as multiple students have either been quarantined or tested positive for COVID-19. And then there are defiant churches in Louisiana, Colorado, and elsewhere that are openly bucking public health recommendations, as they purposefully draw in large crowds with the promise of healing. The White House has shown support for these efforts through Tony Perkins, head of the Christian nationalist group Family Research Council. In this light, Trump’s statement that “it’ll be a beautiful time [to] have packed churches all over our country” makes perfect sense. But this is not the first time President Trump has undermined public health to win approval from his religious extremist backers. We must not forget that Trump and his appointees have spent the last three years doing everything they can to attack our national health care. For example, just within the last year: In March 2019, HHS issued a final rule giving preference to religious organizations to receive funding for Title X family planning programs. This program is a vital source of health care for low-income, rural, and minority women, and the new rules have pushed out important providers like Planned Parenthood in favor of so-called “crisis pregnancy centers.” These fake health centers are more interested in advancing their religous, anti-abortion agenda than serving the health needs of women. In May 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a rule to let health care providers and institutions deny care to patients based on religious beliefs. Later vacated by a federal court after legal challenge, this rule threatened the health, safety, and well-being of millions of Americans, as it would have allowed discrimination against vulnerable groups, such as LGBTQ people, people with HIV, women, and elderly people. In June 2019, HHS proposed a rule to strip protections for trans people from the Affordable Care Act’s nondiscrimination regulations. Then in November, HHS simply decided to stop enforcement of critical civil rights protections in grant programs allowing organizations receiving health and human services grants—totalling more than $500 billion annually—to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and religion. In December 2019, HHS published a final rule that requires health insurance offered through a state exchange to separately bill any costs relating […]

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Take a Stand Against Anti-LGBTQ Discrimination in Virginia!

American Atheists — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 18:55:30 +0000

The Virginia Values Act is currently on the desk of Governor Ralph Northam. This landmark bill would say once and for all that discrimination against LGBTQ Virginians is wrong. Both the Virginia House and Senate passed SB 868, which provides important non-discrimination protections in employment, housing, education, credit, and public accomodations to hundreds of thousands of Virginians. Now we need your help—please ask Gov. Northam to sign this bill into law today! The Governor received the bill on March 6th and has only 30 days to sign any bill into law. Justice can’t wait for thousands of LGBTQ Virginians. Please contact the Governor and ask him to sign SB 868! This popular, bipartisan bill would extend protections currently in place for state employees throughout the Old Dominion State. The Virginia Values Act has the support of a broad coalition of Virginia employers, civil rights leaders, and local secular organizations. The bill would make it clear that all residents of Virginia must be treated equally wherever they work, reside, or engage in daily life, without expanding existing religious exemptions. Many Americans believe that there are national non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, but that’s not the case—currently LGBTQ Virginians can be fired, evicted, or denied services for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Signing the Virginia Values Act would make Virginia the 25th state in this country to offer these critical protections – and the first in the South! Please act now—tell Gov. Northam that equality can’t wait! Please ask him to sign SB 868 today!

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The Supreme Court Could Blow a Hole in Church/State Separation Next Term

American Atheists — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 20:36:23 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, American Atheists warned about Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, an upcoming Supreme Court case that could allow religious organizations broad exemptions and unfettered freedom to ignore nondiscrimination laws. Catholic Social Services, a foster-care agency, is suing the city of Philadelphia, claiming it is entitled to a taxpayer-funded contract to place children in foster care despite the agency’s refusal to comply with the city’s nondiscrimination requirements. “Catholic Social Services wants to turn away atheist, LGBTQ, and religious minority parents yet demands government funding to promote and normalize their discriminatory behavior. This is beyond absurd,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “As bad as that is, if they were to prevail, the ripple effects would be even more disastrous. Discriminatory religious groups would have free reign to ignore the laws they don’t like and demand government money while refusing to serve all Americans,” added Gill. “Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and atheists—we all need to follow the same laws,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “If the Supreme Court sides with discrimination, they’ll be putting religious dogma above the interests of the most vulnerable children and the rights of all Americans.”

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American Atheists’ Statement on Freedom For All Act

American Atheists — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:48:35 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, in response to the introduction of the Fairness for All Act, a LGBTQ rights bill that includes dangerous new religious exemptions, American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy Alison Gill released the following statement: “The Fairness for All Act is anything but fair for all and reads like a wish list for conservative religious groups. It codifies religious exemptions and loopholes that allow religiously motivated discrimination against LGBTQ Americans in areas of employment, adoptions and foster care, and education. It undermines existing protections prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex by broadening exemptions from the law. “This bill also inexplicably includes a provision that requires the federal government to pay for the upkeep, preservation, and construction of churches. “We should be building on the foundation laid by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a system that has served us well for more than 50 years, rather than riddling important public accommodations protections with religious exemptions. Unfortunately, this legislation sends the unmistakable signal to LGBTQ Americans that they are second-class citizens, less deserving of protection from discrimination. “The bi-partisan Equality Act has already passed the House and has 47 co-sponsors in the Senate. Majority Leader McConnell should schedule a vote, and the Senate should finish the job.”

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Atheists: Labor Department Rules Allowing Religious Discrimination Are ‘Disgusting, Un-American’

American Atheists — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 18:06:09 +0000

Cranford, NJ—Today, the Department of Labor announced a proposed rule that would allow government contractors to ignore civil rights and anti-discrimination laws under the guise of religion. It is estimated that nearly a quarter of Americans work at employers with federal contracts. In response, American Atheists’ President Nick Fish released the following statement: Since day one of this administration, religion has been weaponized against anyone who is not a member of the Trump/Pence band of sycophants and apologists on the extreme Religious Right. The vast majority of Americans understand that religion is not a license to discriminate or an excuse to ignore the law. But instead of listening to the American people, President Trump is kowtowing to Christian nationalists who have twisted ‘religious freedom’ to mean the ‘freedom’ to attack anyone they don’t like. We know exactly who is going to pay the price for this Administration’s radical redefinitions of ‘religious freedom.’ Atheists, LGBTQ people, single parents, religious minorities, and even people who are the ‘wrong kind’ of Christian could lose their jobs because of this rule. If this rule were to go into effect, the Trump Administration would gladly give our tax dollars to companies that hang a ‘Non-Evangelicals need not apply’ sign on their front door. It’s disgusting, it’s un-American, and, after more than two years, it’s unsurprising. If you oppose the Trump administration’s latest attempt to use religion as an excuse to discriminate, take 30 seconds right now and sign our petition! ### Image by Gage Skidmore under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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Maryland County Punishes Library for Hosting Drag Queen Story Hour, but Atheist and LGBTQ Organizations are Fighting Back

American Atheists — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 20:51:53 +0000

Cranford, NJ—Organizers of a Drag Queen Story Hour came to the defense of a local library, the venue for the event, after the St. Mary’s County Commission removed $2,500 from its budget, allegedly to pay security costs. Yesterday, American Atheists, Southern Maryland Area Secular Humanists (SMASH), PFLAG National, and PFLAG’s Leonardtown chapter sent a letter to the commission warning that the organizations “are prepared to seek judicial remedies for [the] violation of their rights.” “At Drag Queen Story Hour, the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department arrested and charged a Christian extremist with five misdemeanors after he barged into the meeting room, terrorizing young attendees,” explained Samantha McGuire, SMASH Chapter Coordinator and National Field Director of American Atheists. “This anti-LGBTQ protester broke the law, yet St. Mary’s County Commission is blaming the victims, forcing the library to foot the bill to protect children from out-of-control fundamentalists.” At its July 16 meeting, the commission transferred $2,439.38 from the library’s budget into St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department’s to cover the cost of providing security for the event. Certain commissioners have previously expressed disapproval of Drag Queen Story Hour, with Commissioner Todd Morgan making an explicitly anti-LGBTQ statement that event organizers were “targeting the kids for sexuality.” “The commission’s decision to defund the library violates Maryland law and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. The Constitution does not allow for a ‘heckler’s veto,’” said Geoffrey Blackwell, American Atheists’ litigation counsel, who wrote the advisory letter. “The commissioners claimed that they wanted to avoid controversy. Far from quelling controversy, though, they somehow managed to incentivize it.” “By kowtowing to Christian supremacists, the Commission is sending the message that bigoted protesters should use any means necessary, including threatening innocent children and committing multiple crimes, to get what they want,” said Nick Fish, American Atheists’ president. The groups advised the St. Mary’s County Commissioners to act within the bounds of Maryland law and their constitutional obligations and hope that the commissioners will restore the funding to the library. Photo credit: Melissa Suarez Skinner

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State Lawmakers Brief Members of Congress on Religious Extremist “Project Blitz” Campaign

American Atheists — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:30:52 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA), state lawmakers, and American Atheists briefed members of Congress about Project Blitz, a secretive and widespread Christian nationalist campaign to undermine LGBTQ equality, limit access to reproductive healthcare, and threaten religious equality under the law. Project Blitz’s strategy is two-fold: First, overwhelm state lawmakers and advocates with as many bills as possible—hence the name “Project Blitz”—and second, push seemingly innocuous “Christian heritage” bills in states in order to build momentum and pass anti-LGBTQ, anti-religious equality, and anti-reproductive health care legislation. “Very few Americans have ever heard of Project Blitz, yet hundreds of elected officials are actively supporting the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation (CPCF), which runs this extremist campaign,” explained American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy Alison Gill (left). “The CPCF pushes legislators to introduce a range of harmful bills through its network of state prayer caucuses.” Yet state legislators across the country are building opposition to Project Blitz. In Minnesota, State Senator John Marty (center left) successfully defused conservative media attacks on him after he opposed an “In God We Trust” school display bill, citing his own faith and his commitment to religious equality. In Arizona, State Senator Juan Mendez (center right) exposed how Arizona’s “In God We Trust” license plate law had quietly generated over $1 million for the anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedomfrom 2012 to 2018. In Washington DC, Councilmember David Grosso introduced a resolution for Religious Freedom Day as a model for promoting the historically accurate value of religious freedom—in stark contrast to Project Blitz’s distorted vision. “Project Blitz is working behind the scenes in state legislatures, and the reach of this effort is national,” said Huffman, co-founder of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. “Let’s be very clear. This is not about protecting religious freedom or religious liberty. It’s about imposing some people’s religious views on everyone else. It’s about changing this pluralistic secular democracy of ours into a theocracy, into the kind of country that’s depicted in shows like The Handmaid’s Tale.” “Project Blitz is not going away, but since they have made their intent clear, we can work to oppose this harmful and deceptive campaign,” said Nick Fish (right), President of American Atheists. “Starting now, state and federal legislators, as well as advocates for equality, need to coordinate their efforts to stop Project Blitz and its attacks on women, LGBTQ Americans, atheists, and religious minorities.” To watch the full Hill briefing, click here.

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Atheists: The Every Child Deserves a Family Act would End Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination in Adoption and Foster Care

American Atheists — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 17:17:42 +0000

Washington, DC—Today, American Atheists praised the introduction of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act (H.R. 3114). This bipartisan bill would stop federally funded adoption and foster care placement agencies from discriminating against children, adoptive parents, and families nationwide. This legislation is especially important for LGBTQ people, atheists, and religious minorities—the groups most likely to face discrimination. “For far too long, religion has been used as an excuse to discriminate against atheists, LGBTQ people, and members of the ‘wrong’ religious group in our nation’s foster care and adoption system,” explained Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal & Policy. “With more than 400,000 young people in our nation’s foster care system and more than 120,000 awaiting a permanent family, this bill will ensure that every one of them has the best opportunity possible to find a forever home.” “This is about doing what is best for young people,” said Nick Fish, American Atheists’ president. “Unfortunately, ten states have prioritized the dogma of religious adoption and foster care providers above the best interests of the children they’re supposed to serve. The Every Child Deserves a Family Act protects vulnerable children and would-be parents from this religion-based discrimination.” “This is personal for me,” added Fish. “When my parents adopted me, they weren’t asked what religion they believed or which church they attended. All that mattered was that they loved me and put my interests first.” Crucially, this bill will protect children’s religious freedom by prohibiting federally funded agencies from subjecting young people to harmful conversion therapy or religious conversion. “This bill is long overdue,” said Gill. “We thank Representatives John Lewis (D-GA) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) for their leadership by introducing the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. Every day that goes by without these basic protections for young people is a day too many.”

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Support the Equality Act to Protect Civil Rights and Limit Religious Exemptions!

American Atheists — Thu, 09 May 2019 22:23:27 +0000

The Equality Act (H.R. 5) is a bill that would expand national civil rights laws by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Next week, the US House of Representatives will hold a historic vote on this critical measure. Without the Equality Act, our country will continue to have a patchwork of inconsistent protections. For example, in 30 states, LGBTQ people are at risk of being fired, refused housing, or denied services under state law. Unfortunately, in some areas where limited protections exist, they are subject to overly broad religious exemptions. The Equality Act would change this by creating a foundation of basic non-discrimination protections across the nation that would protect LGBTQ people in areas such as employment, housing, education, and public accommodations, without expanding harmful religious exemptions! Please take action now—ask your Representative to vote for the Equality Act! By ensuring protections for LGBTQ people under national civil rights laws, the Equality Act would actually strengthen protections for everyone. For example, the bill expands the meaning of “public accommodations” to include retail stores; transportation services like airports, taxis, and bus stations; and service providers like accountants. The Equality Act would also protect youth in child welfare services by preventing state-funded religious foster care and adoption agencies from discriminating against LGBTQ people. Currently, 10 states have laws on the books that allow discrimination on the basis of religion, and other states are considering this issue. Stop more states from adopting discriminatory legislation in the name of religion! Support the Equality Act! The Equality Act has overwhelming bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, and these protections are supported by a substantial majority of Americans. This commonsense legislation is long past due. Please ask your Representative to vote FOR the Equality Act when this bill comes before the House next week!

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