Many public schools in South Dakota noticed something on their first day back to school: the country’s motto “In God We Trust” has been placed on the walls either as a result of paint or stencils. This is because a new state law recently took effect which requires this message to be displayed in areas Read More

In July 2019, more than 200 businesses signed a brief that was filed with the United States Supreme Court in support of three LGBTQ workers who were terminated as a result of their gender identity or sexual orientation. The brief was organized by several LGBTQ civil rights organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Read More

In April 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it will hear three cases concerning LGBT discrimination during its fall term. Each of these cases addresses the question of whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from terminating workers as a result of their gender identity or sexual orientation. These Read More

The United States Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case concerning a 2015 Montana law which allows tax credits to be used for religious school instruction. Montana’s highest court has already struck down the program on the basis that it violates the state’s constitutional ban on providing state aid to religious organizations. The outcome Read More

A florist who declined to create floral arrangements for a same sex wedding has announced plans to appeal her case to the United States Supreme Court after a Washington state court held that the woman violated the state’s civil rights law.  As a result, the Supreme Court of the United States now has the chance Read More

New York legislators in June 2019 passed a bill that will end religious exemptions to vaccinations. This decision came after a series of debates among legislators concerning this exemption, which was used by parents to justify sending unvaccinated children to school or daycare. This bill represents a strong example of how religious rights can come Read More

LGBT rights in the United States might have progressed a great deal in recent years, but they still have a long way to go in regards to certain areas of law. Recently, legislators in New York passed a prohibition on “gay and trans panic” defenses in criminal cases in an attempt to end discriminatory legal Read More

A witch was recently forced to resign from her position as dean of the communications schools at St. Bonaventure University as a result her Wiccan beliefs.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the issuance of a new final conscience rule, which is designed to protect individuals and health care entities from discrimination claims on the basis of their exercise of conscience in HHS funded programs. The conscience rule implements full enforcement of 25 provisions passed Read More

Following a recent agreement between Michigan’s Attorney General and the American Civil Liberties Union, adoption agencies in the state of Michigan that receive state funding are no longer able to deny adoptions to LGBT couples on the basis that doing so violates the agency’s religious beliefs. The decision is the result of a legal action Read More