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

Earlier today, an article was published on The Friendly Atheist regarding an ongoing lawsuit filed in an Arizona court by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). The case concerns a significant trust in Arizona that was distributed in 2022 and 2023 among FFRF, American Atheists, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the donor’s son in accordance with his late father’s stated wishes. American Atheists first learned the shared bequest was being contested in March 2024, when the organization was served by FFRF lawyers. Their lawsuit claims that FFRF should receive a substantially lar ..read more

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously rejected a lawsuit brought by the Christian nationalist law firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, seeking to prevent millions of Americans from accessing the safe and effective abortion medication, mifepristone. The opinion found that, “Under the Constitution… a plaintiff’s desire to make a drug less available for others does not establish standing to sue.”  In response to the ruling, Alison Gill, Vice President of Legal & Policy for American Atheists, released the following statement:  We are reliev ..read more

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced the release of its new Denial of Care rule, Safeguarding the Rights of Conscience as Protected by Federal Statutes.  President of American Atheists, Nick Fish, said, “The Department of Health and Human Services has taken a step in the right direction this week. The religious refusal rule the Biden Administration inherited had nothing to do with religious freedom and everything to do with enshrining religious extremism into law and prioritizing the narrow beliefs of a few over ..read more

Washington, D.C. — American Atheists released the sixth edition of its State of the Secular States report today. The organization’s annual policy publication is an in-depth analysis of state-level legislative attacks against religious equality and the separation of religion and government. Many of the political forecasts outlined in State of the Secular States have proven accurate over the years, and it has become a powerful tool for lawmakers, the media, and advocates to understand the nationwide trajectory toward religious extremism. “Last year was one of the worst legislative sessions in re ..read more

Albany, NY – American Atheists rebuked New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to again veto a life-saving bill that has twice passed in the New York Assembly and Senate with bipartisan support. The Recovery Options Bill (A.5074) would have required that New Yorkers ordered to enter a substance abuse treatment program be informed of their right to not be forced into religious programming against their will. For example, many atheists choose nonreligious, evidence-based recovery options, such as SMART Recovery or LifeRing. Time and again, courts across the nation have found that 12-step progr ..read more

Charleston, WV — American Atheists announced today a resounding victory in its federal lawsuit, in partnership with Mountain State Justice, against the leadership of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (WVDCR) in April 2023 on behalf of Andrew Miller, an atheist and Secular Humanist who was forced to engage in religious activities as a condition of parole. “We’ve said it before, but no one should be forced to sacrifice their moral or religious beliefs in order to be released from incarceration,” said Lesley Nash, an attorney with Mountain State Justice, who served as l ..read more