Washington, D.C. — American Atheists, a national civil rights organization, filed an amicus brief today in Catholic Charities v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in this case could determine, for the first time, whether nonprofit organizations doing charity work motivated by religious belief must be exempted from paying unemployment taxes. In Wisconsin, the state labor commission denied an application for exemption submitted by Catholic Charities, whose activities were deemed “not religious.” The state Supreme Court agreed with that assessment ..read more

Again and again and again, voters have rejected school vouchers and other privatization schemes that attempt to defund and dismantle the nonsectarian public schools that 90% of U.S. families choose.  The mandate from the American people to their state and federal lawmakers is clear: Support public schools.  Earlier today, the Trump Administration issued yet another executive order that directly contradicts the will of the people. They justify their wholly unpopular position on school privatization by alluding to a “growing body of rigorous research.” This is a lie.  Decades of i ..read more

Cranford, NJ—American Atheists is proud to stand alongside national civil rights organizations and secular advocacy groups today—and everyday—in reaffirming our commitment to vigorously oppose attacks against LGBTQ+ Americans. We unequivocally believe public policy should be based on facts, not faith.  For example, when we conducted the largest secular survey ever of over 34,000 nonreligious Americans, 82% of respondents identified protecting LGBTQ equality as an issue organizations like ours should prioritize, with 30% listing it as one of their three most important issues. Given the vit ..read more

The white Christian nationalist movement has used legislatures in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., to proliferate policies that undermine pluralism, democracy, and civil rights. The post New Analysis Shows Religious Equality Under Threat in Half the States appeared first on American Atheists ..read more

The post Atheists Urge Oklahoma School Leaders to “Teach, Don’t Preach”   appeared first on American Atheists ..read more

American Atheists doesn’t always weigh in on presidential cabinet nominations, so when we do, you can trust enough evidence has mounted to warrant a response.  For example, last month, we issued a statement regarding the selection of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. We received some flak for that, but as an organization that values reason and science, ignoring his long history of spreading dangerous misinformation is not an option.  Similarly, we cannot remain silent about the nomination of former Fox & Friends weekend co-host Pete Hegse ..read more

Washington, D.C. — In response to oral arguments today at the Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti, a case challenging Tennessee’s categorical ban on health care for transgender youth, American Atheists president Nick Fish released the following statement: Tennessee’s ban on gender affirming care is an extreme and dangerous assault on the wellbeing — and lives — of trans young people. Unfortunately, this law is just one in the tidal wave of legislation targeting trans Americans across our nation, largely driven by the Christian nationalist movement and its enablers. Denying anyone access ..read more

The post The United States is Still a Secular Nation — American Atheists intends to keep it that way appeared first on American Atheists ..read more

Nick Fish, President of American Atheists: We are, at long last, just one day away from one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. At the top of the ticket and, for many, top of mind is one of the closest presidential races in recent memory. Together, the consequentiality and closeness of this Election Day are cause for alarm and anxiety for many Americans.  I’m sorry to say I can’t assuage all the concerns you might have about the outcome of this election. Anybody who claims to know with any certainty which party will win tomorrow (or in the following days or even weeks) is ..read more

COLORADO — The Patients’ Right To Know Act, the nation’s first comprehensive health care transparency law, goes into full effect today, October 1. The law will considerably improve the ability of Coloradans to make informed decisions about their health care by requiring hospitals to inform patients if they deny services for non-medical reasons.  American Atheists has been a strong advocate for this legislation from conception to implementation. Sponsored by Colorado State Representatives Brianna Titone and Kyle Brown, HB 1218 passed both the House and Senate with an overwhelming majo ..read more