News & Updates

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.

An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Muslim Feminist Ani Zonneveld

Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush interviews activist and Grammy-winning musician Ani Zonneveld. Her new memoir is titled, "An Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making My Life Count as a Muslim Feminist."

MSNBC (Op-Ed): Pete Hegseth should say if he shares this pastor’s disdain for the 19th Amendment

What Project 2025 Tells Us the Trump Administration Will do Next to Limit Access to Reproductive Healthcare

Project 2025 is a federal policy blueprint published in 2023 by then-former Trump administration officials and far right policy professionals, organized by The Heritage Foundation. The 920-page document outlines a detailed policy agenda designed to establish an authoritarian government while curbing civil rights protections. In particular, it is interested in restricting access to abortions and other forms of reproductive healthcare.

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.

Separating Church from Hate: A Conversation With John Fugelsang

Host Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush welcomes comedian, actor, and radio host John Fugelsang to discuss John's new book, "Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds⁠"