California Archives - American Atheists

California Bill Would Give Special Development Privileges to Religious Organizations

American Atheists — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:05:56 +0000

Sacramento, California—Today, the religious equality organization American Atheists urged the California Assembly Committee on Appropriations to amend AB 1851. This well-intentioned but unconstitutional bill would allow religious organizations to bypass state zoning restrictions. More specifically, AB 1851 would allow a large church to convert a portion of its parking lot into housing without replacing the parking spaces required by local ordinances. “While proponents might argue that AB 1851 encourages religious institutions to house the homeless population, it also creates special privileges for religious organizations in violation of the Establishment Clause,” explained Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “It does not allow secular nonprofit organizations to make use of the zoning exemption to provide housing for homeless people.” “Fortunately, lawmakers can avoid constitutional concerns by simply making the exemption available to nonprofit organizations more broadly, rather than just religious institutions,” she added. In addition, AB 1851 would not require that the exempted religious developers provide the new housing to homeless people. In fact, a religious organization could convert land and parking spaces to market-rate housing and achieve a significant profit on land that is tax-free. This is a problem. “We applaud your consideration of unconventional means to address the dire needs of homeless people in California,” Gill told the committee. “However, the current exemption is underinclusive, misaligned, and likely unconstitutional. We urge you to consider amending the AB 1851 to create an exemption for secular and religious nonprofits alike to provide housing for homeless people in California.” Image by ray_explores under CC BY 2.0

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American Atheists at California Freethought Day

American Atheists — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 19:23:37 +0000

On Sunday, October 13, enjoy the fun and atmosphere of a fair with the education and activism of a conference atCalifornia Freethought Day in Sacramento. It’s a festival of freethought. You’ll see speakers, live entertainment, an authors’ panel with Q&A, and more! And guess what: Registration is absolutely free! Confirmed speakers include our Vice President for Programs Debbie Goddard, “Friendly Atheist” Hemant Mehta, American Humanist Association attorney Monica Miller, and others. At 2:20 PM, Debbie will present on how to do activism effectively. You won’t want to miss out on her speech or any of the other talks and performances California’s 18th Annual Freethought Day has in store for you. Register today!

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American Atheists Submits Testimony Supporting Bill Protecting Californians from Misleading Conversion Therapy

American Atheists — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 19:52:06 +0000

Sacramento, CA—On behalf of its constituents in California, American Atheists has submitted testimony in support of AB 2943, a bill that would protect Californians from unfair business practices related to the dangerous practice of “conversion therapy,” a typically religious-based attempt to change one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Conversion therapy is a practice, sometimes performed by licensed mental health providers, that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices are based on long-discredited beliefs including that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured. Conversion therapy has been soundly rejected as not only ineffective but actively harmful. The proposed bill complements existing professional standards for state-licensed mental health providers which clarify that conversion therapy is not an acceptable professional practice when applied to young people under age 18. This bill would give explicit protection to consumers from the misleading practices of providers who offer conversion therapy by prohibiting “advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual” in relation to sale of services and business transactions. While there is no credible evidence that conversion therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, it is clear that conversion therapy poses devastating health risks for LGBTQ young people. These dangerous practices can lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, homelessness, and even suicidal behavior, and for this reason the nation’s leading mental health organizations have criticized them. Unfortunately, professional rules have not kept up with this widespread understanding, and some licensed mental health providers continue to engage in conversion therapy, often justifying these dangerous practices based on their religious beliefs. Researchers estimate that 20,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-17 will receive conversion therapy from a licensed mental health professional before the age of 18. While this bill addresses conversion therapy at the hands of state-licensed mental health providers, it does not address the issue of conversion therapy performed by unlicensed religious organizations. Researchers also estimate that 57,000 such LGBTQ youth will receive conversion therapy from a religious or spiritual advisor before age 18. Although this bill does not address conversion therapy practiced by unlicensed religious organizations, American Atheists condemns those practices as well. No young person should be subject to abuse or mistreatment based on the religious beliefs of their caretakers. You can read American Atheists’ full testimony here.

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