Tuesday, July 7, 2015

AU Launches "Protect Thy Neighbor" Project


http://protectthyneighbor.org

Unwilling to accept the advances in LGBT rights, women’s equality, and reproductive health, religious extremists are asking state legislatures, Congress, and the courts for a trump card to undermine this progress. They want to use their religious beliefs as an excuse to deny healthcare, refuse to provide services, and disobey laws protecting Americans from discrimination and abuse.

We stand for equality, fairness, and religious freedom. Everyone should be free to believe or not believe, but people’s religious beliefs should not be used to harm their neighbors.  As advocates for religious freedom, we are standing up to those who would harm others in the name of religion. We are fighting to protect our neighbors.

Protect Thy Neighbor is designed to respond to the increasingly common assertions that “religious freedom” gives people a right to discriminate against others, and deny them access to certain medical services.  We have fought this battle for years, but recent developments – including efforts by Catholic Bishops and Religious Right groups to use a twisted definition of “religious freedom” to deny rights to women and LGBT Americans – have opened a flood gate of new battles. We are expanding our work so that no one is allowed to use religion as an excuse to refuse you service, deny you healthcare or threaten your safety.

We are protecting our neighbors, and we invite you to join us. www.protectthyneighbor.org