Trump and SCOTUS are Dismantling Church-State Separation. Learn how to fight back on 8/11 at 1:00 - 2:15 pm ET
Register
Organizing Intern
Valli Pendyala
Valli Pendyala is currently a rising junior in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where they major in Regional Studies in SWANA & South Asia, with a minor in Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs & Arabic. Outside of the classroom, they are involved with Georgetown University Pride, the Georgetown International Relations Association, and the Georgetown Coalition for Workers' Rights, and they write for the Middle East and Africa sections of The Caravel. Additionally, they serve as the president of Queer Dharma, a program of the Dharmic Life chaplaincy at Georgetown, which focuses on creating a space for queer practitioners of the Dharmic faiths, including Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Hinduism. Valli is originally from Connecticut but now calls Washington, DC home, where they enjoy cooking for friends, exploring the Metro network, and reading.
True Religious Freedom Means Protecting Our Faith Leaders, Not Detaining Them
In early July, Ayman Soliman, a former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after his asylum status was terminated in June. In response, local faith leaders organized a prayer vigil, rally, and peaceful march; during the march at least 15 protesters were detained by local police and charged with felony rioting.
.jpg)
Trans Rights and Religious Freedom
Over the past few years, we have witnessed an alarming increase in prejudice against transgender people and attacks on the LGBTQ+ movement. This prejudice has manifested in several ways: bathroom bills denying access based on gender identity, denial of medical care for critical health services, and alarming rates of hate crimes and violence. Unfortunately, much of this rise in hatred has been fueled by religious rhetoric. To explain why the pro-democracy faith movement proudly supports trans people and all members of the LGBTQ+ community, we offer answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about religious freedom and the trans rights movement in the United States.
New Research Finds the Supreme Court Shows Bias Towards Christian Groups
In a recently published article in the Cambridge Journal of Political Affairs, Adam Hamdan offers a statistical analysis of the role religion plays in Supreme Court cases. The article builds on previous studies examining the interplay between religious beliefs and Supreme Court cases to find that under the Roberts Court, the Supreme Court has sided with religious groups more than previous courts, especially when it comes to Christian groups. This finding mirrors public perception of the Supreme Court, as a recent PEW Research Center study found that 35% of Americans see SCOTUS as friendly toward religion, a significant increase from the 18% of Americans that believed that in 2019.
No media