Evangelical therapists have a First Amendment right to engage in “conversion therapy” with LGBTQ clients despite solid medical evidence that such treatment is ineffective, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. In an 8-1 ruling March 31, the high court ruled…
AU sues for information on Pentagon and Labor prayer meetings
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Labor demanding public records related to monthly prayer meetings hosted by both agencies. The Freedom of Information Act…
Faith and social justice groups argue for contraception coverage
Dozens of faith and social justice groups have stepped up to support the plaintiffs in a protracted lawsuit filed to preserve the reproductive care rights of workers and college students. Filed in 2017, Pennsylvania v. President of the United States…
Religious groups sue to block Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission
A diverse coalition of faith groups sued the Trump administration Feb. 9 to challenge the legality and religiously narrow makeup of its Religious Liberty Commission. President Donald Trump established the commission in 2025 by executive order “to defend the religious…
Groups call for boycott of National Prayer Breakfast
When the National Prayer Breakfast takes place in Washington, D.C., Thursday morning, some people of faith will be missing on purpose. And they hope others will join them in boycotting the annual exercise in civil religion. Anticipation that President Donald…
Civil liberties groups say Catholic ministry should not discriminate
Religious employers must comply with nondiscrimination laws and are prohibited from discriminating against employees due to sexual orientation, civil and religious rights organizations said in a new court filing. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church…
Judge says AU may not intervene in Johnson Amendment litigation
A constitutional watchdog group may not defend the Johnson Amendment in litigation filed by religious groups seeking to promote political causes from the pulpit, a federal judge in Texas ruled. Americans United for Separation of Church and State sought third-party…
Rachel Laser appointed to Religious Freedom Commission
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been appointed to the nine-member U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. She was chosen by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Members of the commission are named…
US Labor secretary plans partisan prayer service for employees
One of the nation’s leading church-state separation groups has requested U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer cancel a department-wide prayer service scheduled for Dec. 10. “While you are free to participate in religious events and promote your personal religious beliefs in…
BJC agrees with demand to retain Johnson Amendment
Thirteen U.S. senators and representatives have written to the acting director of the Internal Revenue Service urging him to continue enforcement of the Johnson Amendment that prevents churches and other charities from endorsing political candidates. The IRS announced July 7…
Supreme Court hears case of Rastafarian forcibly shaved
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Nov. 10 in a prison abuse case that could affect the religious freedom rights of inmates nationwide. Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections stems from prison guards forcibly shaving a Rastafarian man’s hair…
Conversion therapy case is a ‘pivotal moment,’ AU’s Laser says
A pending Supreme Court decision on whether states can ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth represents a pivotal moment in the struggle against Christian nationalism, said Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Either you…