Dear Friend,
This week, American Atheists released the seventh annual edition of our State of the Secular States report. We found that religious equality is under threat in half of the states. If you haven’t checked this publication out before, now’s the perfect time to do so.
Are lawmakers in your state protecting your constitutional rights, or are they trying to dismantle the separation of religion and government? No matter where in the U.S. you’re from, this comprehensive analysis has you covered. And it’s one of the resources American Atheists offers that I’m most proud of.
Last year, our team monitored 1,156 bills across the country. We continued to see a proliferation of Christian Nationalist and religiously-motivated policies. With almost all state legislatures reconvening this month, our State of the Secular States is an incredibly useful and important tool for advocates, lawmakers, the media, and people, like you, who care about these issues and want to be informed.
Because, as our own experts and special contributors from the Guttmacher Institute, SIECUS, and more explain throughout the report, we have a very good sense of what kind of policy proposals we’ll be seeing in the coming days and weeks. Namely, we expect to see even more authoritarian restrictions on health care, more efforts to codify discrimination against the LGBTQ community, and more attempts to privatize and Christianize our public schools.
These proposals will keep cropping up even as voters in multiple states reaffirmed their opposition to them just months ago. But the success of those ballot initiatives is sure to make them a target of anti-democratic powers. Make sure you stay in the loop this legislative session by signing up to receive Action Alerts from our policy team, and we’ll let you know when a bill we’re tracking in your state requires you to take action.
I need our members to understand we can no longer trust the federal courts to vindicate our rights, and in just over a week, the Trump Administration will be in power. Increasingly, our state legislatures are the last line of defense against religious and political extremism. But without the engagement of secular folks like you, state-level policymakers can also cause serious damage.
We’ve seen it happen. It’s why American Atheists is upping our commitment to grassroots activism, starting with this powerful tool for advocates in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and D.C. We know most Americans don’t subscribe to the hateful ideology of Christian Nationalists. But it’s not enough to disagree from your kitchen table or on your social media feed.
We’ve got to work together to register our collective disapproval — loud and clear — in the places these policies move from bad ideas to harmful laws. We’ve got to fight back.
Compiling the State of the Secular States is a huge undertaking for an organization with such a small staff. But I am honored to work everyday with such talented and tireless people. In support of all the work they do, including but certainly not limited to this painstaking analysis, please join me in making a special, one-time gift of $25 today.
In solidarity,
Nick Fish
President
PS: Like the rest of the world, we are watching the wildfires in Los Angeles with horror. Climate change is real, and its consequences are devastating. Our friends at Atheists United, a Los Angeles based affiliate, have generously opened their building as a shelter to anyone impacted by evacuation orders. They are also working to collect and distribute essential supplies. Please consider making a donation at www.atheistsunited.org/fire
American Atheists is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, nonprofit educational organization that relies on the support of members like you. Contributions are tax-deductible. Our Federal Tax ID Number is 74-2466507 and our Combined Federal Campaign number is 52217.
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