South Carolina Archives - American Atheists https://www.atheists.org/tag/south-carolina/ Protecting the absolute separation of religion from government. Thu, 23 Jan 2020 20:29:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 125490277 Atheists: South Carolina, Don’t Fund Religious Student Groups that Discriminate https://www.atheists.org/2020/01/college-license-to-discriminate-south-carolina/ Thu, 23 Jan 2020 20:19:57 +0000 https://www.atheists.org/?p=23955 Columbia, SC—Today, American Atheists wrote in opposition to S33, a bill that would open up South Carolina colleges and universities to discrimination. “Although we believe this bill is well-intentioned to promote free speech on college and university campuses, as written the bill would instead allow for invidious discrimination on the basis of religion,” wrote Alison Gill, American Atheists’ Vice President for Legal and Policy, who submitted testimony to members of the Senate Education Committee. “We Urge you to table this bill or at least to amend the legislation to remove its discriminatory elements.” Based on the language in the bill, a “College Nazi Club” could exclude Black and Jewish students. A “College Christian Club” could exclude Christians with differing beliefs, such as Mormons or Catholics, as well as LGBTQ students. A student government organization could exclude Republicans. They could do so while receiving funding provided by taxpayers and other students at the institution. “Taxpayers and other students should not be forced to pay for student groups that are discriminatory and exclusionary,” added Gill. If South Carolina passes this bill, it would join 13 states that have campus license-to-discriminate laws on the books.

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]]> 23955 Atheists: Do Not Let South Carolina Student Groups Discriminate https://www.atheists.org/2019/04/free-speech-bill-south-carolina/ Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:37:28 +0000 https://www.atheists.org/?p=10853 Updated: 4/02/2019 Columbia, SC—Today, American Atheists, on behalf of its more than 400 constituents in South Carolina, submitted testimony opposing to H. 3099. This controversial bill would undermine the ability of public colleges and universities to provide an open and inclusive campus and to prohibit discriminatory conduct. As written, the bill would allow for discrimination within student organizations. American Atheists supports removing a section of H. 3099 that would allow religious, political, and ideological student organizations to discriminate. Under H. 3099, student groups could exclude students, impose dangerous rules on students, or sanction harassment. Based on this language, for example a “College Nazi Club” could exclude Black and Jewish students, a “College Christian Club” could exclude atheists, LGBTQ students, or even Catholics, and a “Future Lawmakers Club” could exclude Republicans. These groups could discriminate while while receiving funding and resources from taxpayers and other students at the institution. “Although the language is framed in terms of preventing discrimination against the student organization, being required to comply with university nondiscrimination rules, like every other student organization, is not discrimination,” wrote Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy. “Creating special rules to allow these organizations to discriminate is exclusionary and unfair.”

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