Author name: Aidan

GOP Senator Reintroduces Bill To Protect Discrimination Against LGBTQ People Read More »

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) reintroduced on Thursday the First Amendment Defense Act, a bill that would provide a range of federal protections for individuals and companies that discriminate against LGBTQ people. Framed as a religious liberty measure, the legislation aims to prohibit the federal government from taking “discriminatory” action against a person for speaking or

Mar 9 2018

U.S. appeals court says civil rights law covers transgender workers

U.S. appeals court says civil rights law covers transgender workers Read More »

A federal law banning sex bias in the workplace prohibits discrimination against transgender workers, a U.S. appeals court said on Wednesday, ruling in favor of a funeral director who was fired after telling her boss she planned to transition to female from male. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said RG & GR Harris

GOP Candidate for NC House Wrongly Claims Prayer Is Banned in Schools

GOP Candidate for NC House Wrongly Claims Prayer Is Banned in Schools Read More »

There are two candidates vying for a seat in the North Carolina House from District 23. The Democrat, Shelly Willingham, is the incumbent and he said at a recent forum he was all in on gun safety measures. His opponent is Republican Claiborne Holtzman, who thinks more guns is the solution to gun violence. But I was more

Abstinence advocate gets final say on family planning dollars

Abstinence advocate gets final say on family planning dollars Read More »

A senior Trump health official who has promoted abstinence will be the final arbiter of which groups receive federal family planning funds — a change from prior years, when a group of officials made the decision. Conservatives have long criticized the $286 million Title X program, which funds family planning services, mostly for low-income women,

How ‘pro bono’ offers to defend religious monuments are stressing local governments

How ‘pro bono’ offers to defend religious monuments are stressing local governments Read More »

The Pere Jacques Marquette Shrine was put up in the 1950s to honor a missionary who may have died there, or maybe not. There’s no real evidence to suggest the spot is special, and, wherever he was first interred, Marquette was reburied in the nearby town of Ludington, Mich. In December, the Freedom From Religion Foundation pointed

Parents Suing LA District Request Anonymity After Death Threats from Christians

Parents Suing LA District Request Anonymity After Death Threats from Christians Read More »

There’s an ongoing lawsuit against Louisiana’s Bossier Parish School Board and Superintendent Scott Smith, filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, claiming that the District has violated the Constitution in a number of different ways. For example, Smith mandated that all football players stand during the National Anthem, preventing any form of a peaceful protest.

House panel gives blessing to ‘God enriches’ bill

House panel gives blessing to ‘God enriches’ bill Read More »

Saying it just translates a Latin word already in the state motto, a House panel voted Monday to let schools literally put the word “God” into classrooms – as long as it’s connected to the word “enriches.” Existing Arizona law says teachers and administrators may read or post a variety of things in any classroom.

Kentucky Governor: Kim Davis is an “Inspiration” for Breaking the Law for Jesus

Kentucky Governor: Kim Davis is an “Inspiration” for Breaking the Law for Jesus Read More »

In a promotional video for Christian bigot Kim Davis‘ new book, all about how she refused to grant legal marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Kentucky, Governor Matt Bevin praised her activism, calling her an “inspiration” to children and public servants everywhere. “Against all the scorn, all the enmity, all the vitriol, all the nastiness, she stood firm,” Bevin said. “I

Religious ‘nones’ could shake up American politics — but many roadblocks stand in their way

Religious ‘nones’ could shake up American politics — but many roadblocks stand in their way Read More »

In 2016, religiously unaffiliated Americans, or “nones,” represented 21 percent of registered voters, one percentage point more than white evangelical Christians. However, they only accounted for 15 percent of actual voters, according to Pew Research Center and national exit polls. Secular activists see the gap between these two figures as a call to action for 2018 and beyond.