Pennsylvania Archives - American Atheists

Circuit Court Reaffirms Atheists’ Right to Advertise their Existence

American Atheists — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 21:36:30 +0000

Philadelphia, PA—Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that a Pennsylvania public transit agency could not unconstitutionally discriminate against atheists by banning their ads on buses. In 2012, American Atheists joined the Northeastern Pennsylvania Freethought Society (NEPA) to propose an ad containing merely the word “Atheists,” the names of the groups, and their URLs. However, the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) immediately rejected the ad, deeming it “controversial,” and put forward a 2013 policy excluding atheist perspectives. Today, more than seven years later, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of NEPA in a 2-1 decision, declaring the 2013 policy “discriminat[ory] on the basis of viewpoint,” in violation of the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. “Circuit Judge Hardiman correctly concluded that COLTS’ ad policy unconstitutionally discriminated against atheists,” said Geoffrey Blackwell, American Atheists’ litigation counsel, who co-authored an amicus curiae brief in the case with Nick Little of the Center for Inquiry. “With the law on our side, it is all the more important that atheists barred from government-run advertising space, social media accounts, or holiday displays inform us of the violation.” “Today’s decision reinforces the importance of atheist organizations demanding equal access to these public forums,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “The existence of our community isn’t controversial, isn’t political, and isn’t an ‘attack’ on anyone. It’s simply a fact. And it’s a fact that isn’t going to change.” “While we applaud the court’s decision to protect atheists’ rights, we take issue with the reasoning the court used to reach its conclusion. The government may limit the subjects to be discussed in a limited public forum, including advertising space it owns,” added Blackwell. “What the government cannot do, and what COLTS attempted to do here, is to let multiple churches run ads for years and then close off that government-run forum to all religious speech in order to exclude atheists.”

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Atheists Tell Pennsylvania to End Forced Child Marriage

American Atheists — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 17:35:52 +0000

Harrisburg, PA—Debbie Goddard, Vice President for Programs at American Atheists, wrote in support of SB 81. This bill would end forced child marriage in Pennsylvania. “As a Pennsylvania native and Vice President for Programs at American Atheists, which has over 1,700 constituents in Pennsylvania, I write in strong support of SB 81, a bill which would end child marriage in Pennsylvania,” she wrote. “This bill will protect young people in Pennsylvania from being coerced into marriage against their will, a harmful and archaic practice that happens all-too-frequently across our nation.” Current Pennsylvania law permits young people under the age of 16 to marry with the approval of a court if they have consent from a parent or guardian. Appallingly, there is no minimum statutory age for marriage through this process. Young people above the age of 16 can file for a marriage license with no additional requirements. A young person who is married through these loopholes is still considered a minor under the law, putting them in a tenuous legal position: A child spouse cannot file for divorce, sign binding contracts such as housing agreements, or take other legal action. As minors, child brides face legal dead ends. Their parents still have custody rights, and organizations and shelters are unable to interfere with those rights. As a result, these children remain with abusive families and husbands, and they are often removed from school, raped, and live in poverty. By adopting SB 81, Pennsylvania would effectively eliminate harmful loopholes in current law

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Protect Children in Pennsylvania from Forced Marriage!

American Atheists — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 19:20:20 +0000

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is considering HB 360/SB 81, legislation that would prevent forced child marriage by prohibiting marriage of individuals under the age of 18. This legislation is important because, too often, marriages occur in religious sects where very young girls are forced to marry men much older than them. Child marriage remains a widespread problem in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010, more than 167,000 children in 38 states, and as young as age 12, have been forced to marry. Research shows that 3.3 of every 1,000 children in Pennsylvania will be married as children. The U.S. State Department has called forced marriage before age 18 a “human rights abuse.” Tell your Pennsylvania representatives to protect young people in Pennsylvania from this devastating practice! Child brides forced into marriage because of their parents’ religion have few options. As minors, they face legal dead ends: Their parents still have custody rights, and organizations and shelters are unable to interfere with those rights. As a result, these children remain with abusive families and husbands, and they are often removed from school, raped, and live in poverty. The only way to give child brides the legal right to say “no” to marriage is to eliminate the ability for minors to marry and close religious loopholes to existing laws. Postponing marriage until both parties are 18 gives young women the legal right of refusal, emancipation from their families, and the ability to take legal action against domestic abusers. Children should not be forced into marriage or made to suffer because of the religious beliefs of their parents. Tell Pennsylvania lawmakers to support HB 360/SB 81!

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Atheists Argue Transit System Intentionally Discriminated against Non-Religious

American Atheists — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:40:25 +0000

Scranton, PA—In a brief filed Monday, attorneys from American Atheists and the Center for Inquiry (CFI) argued that a Pennsylvania county agency unconstitutionally discriminated against atheists and minority religious groups by banning religious advertisements on buses after they allowed Christians to do so for decades. In 2011, the County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) enacted a policy banning all religious content from bus advertising space. Until then, the operator had permitted all faith-related subject matter on buses. In 2011 and several times thereafter, the Northeastern PA Freethought Society (NEPA) attempted to purchase ad space for a sign that included the word “atheists.” The transportation agency, however, rejected the request, pointing to its policy. NEPA sued, and in July 2018, the district court ruled in favor of COLTS, holding that the transit system could limit the content of advertisements. “For eight years, and perhaps as many as 19, COLTS allowed religious advertisement from Christian organizations without issue. But when atheists and ‘controversial’ religious groups requested the same treatment, they were denied,” explained Nick Fish, President of American Atheists. “The Supreme Court has been crystal clear that it is unconstitutional to discriminate on the basis of religion and that appears to be exactly what COLTS did in this case.” The brief filed by American Atheists and CFI urges the appeals court to overturn the previous ruling and direct the district court to examine whether COLTS acted with discriminatory intent. “Government agencies have the ability to limit religious speech in limited public forums,” said Geoffrey T. Blackwell, litigation counsel for American Atheists. “What they can’t do is allow one type of religious speech for decades and then shut everything down when confronted with views they find ‘controversial.’” The NEPA advertisement rejected by COLTS was a billboard containing just the word “atheists” and the group’s name and logo.

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