American Humanist News and Actions
Take Action: Tell President Obama To Stop Federally Funded Faith-Based Discrimination!
On July 22, 2011, President Obama spoke at a Town Hall meeting in College Park, Maryland about the Administration’s policies concerning faith-based federally funded employment discrimination. Though he criticized religiously discriminatory employment practices in Zanesville, Ohio, in 2008, his recent statements suggest that he supports federally funded religious organizations that choose to hire and fire on the basis of religion.
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Take Action! Oppose the Religious Refusal Clause for Women's Health
Last week, the United States Department of Health and Human Services adopted eight new women’s services to receive mandatory coverage under private insurance policies. These services include well-woman visits, gestational diabetes screenings, domestic violence screenings, and all FDA-approved birth control methods.
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Take Action: Tell Congress to Support the Respect for Marriage Act!
Great news! Yesterday, White House spokesman Jay Carney told White House reporters that President Obama fully supports the Respect for Marriage Act, and the administration would no longer uphold the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a bill which limits the legal definition of marriage to a union between one man and one woman, in a court of law.
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Take Action: Tell President Obama To Stop Faith-Based Employment Discrimination!
In 2002, President Bush implemented Executive Order 13279, a policy allowing faith-based organizations receiving federal funding to hire and fire employees on the basis of religion. While on the campaign trail in 2008, President Obama vowed to reform the faith-based initiative to prevent this form of discrimination, but has yet to make good on this promise.
Take Action: Say No to Evangelical Bias on Church Tax Commission!
Yesterday the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organizations, a commission created in the effort to examine the tax activity of religious organizations, announced the appointment of its members - all of whom come from the Evangelical Christian faith.
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Take Action: Call Your Senators and Oppose the DC School Voucher Program!
Yesterday, the Scholarships for Opportunities and Results Act (SOAR), a revival and expansion of the District of Columbia voucher program, was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. This program, which provides private school tuition stipends to qualifying students, funnels federal money into religious charter schools.
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Take Action: Tell Your Representative To Vote "No" on H. Con. Res. 13!
Yesterday, H. Con. Res 13, a resolution which reaffirms the official motto of the United States as “In God We Trust,” was passed in the House Judiciary Committee, and now faces general debate in the House. If passed on the House floor, the resolution would encourage the display of “In God We Trust” on public buildings, including government institutions and public schools.
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Take Action: Tell Congress to Support the Student Non-Discrimination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act!
Teen bullying is an epidemic sweeping our school systems. LGBT students, and students perceived to be LGBT, are particularly affected by this ugly trend. According to the 2009 National School Climate Survey, 9 out of 10 surveyed LGBT students experience harassment at school, and two thirds reported feeling unsafe. Teen suicide, often committed in the face of severe bullying, is the third leading cause of death among young adults ages 15 to 24. We must put a stop to this tragic chain of events.
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Take Action: Tell Congress to Support Title X and Women's Health!
Title X, also known as “Population Research and Voluntary Family Planning Programs,” is a federally funded program that provides family planning services to the economically disadvantaged. A large majority of Title X funding goes to family planning clinics across the country.
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Take Action: Support H. Res 81 in Recognition of Darwin Day! Call Your Representatives Now!
Representative Pete Stark just proposed H. Res 81 to Congress, expressing support for designation of February 12, 2011, as Darwin Day and recognizing the importance of science in the betterment of humanity. This resolution is a culmination of collaboration between Representative Stark, 2008 Humanist of the Year, and the American Humanist Association.
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