A new Mississippi law that permits religious objectors to deny services to LGBT individuals violates civil liberties, say critics who have challenged the law in court.
P.R. Lockhart
P.R. Lockhart is an editorial intern at The American Prospect.
Posted inAmerica and the World
Pentagon Continues to Mull Over Lifting Ban on Transgender Troops
LGBT advocates were elated when Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the Pentagon intended to lift the military’s longstanding ban on transgender members, saying that the current policy was an “outdated, confusing, inconsistent approach that’s contrary to our value of individual merit.” Nine months later, the transgender community is still waiting for the department to […]
Posted inHealth and Social Policy
New State Restrictions Force Pro-Choice Advocates into Familiar Battle Zone
When Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Pence signed a measure that placed controversial limits on abortion, the law’s constitutional implications likely had little bearing on his decision. Nevertheless, Pence’s move comes as some anti-abortion governors and state lawmakers devise even more severe restrictions and force reproductive-rights advocates onto familiar turf in state and federal courtrooms. Calling […]
Posted inCivil Rights in America
In North Carolina, Backlash Against Anti-LGBT Bill Continues
Protesters gathered in Raleigh and Chapel Hill to oppose HB2, chronicled here in a photo essay.
Posted inLaw and Justice
Maryland Criminal Justice Advocates, Police Unions Clash Over Reforms
Reformers arguing for civilian participation in misconduct investigations face opposition from police unions they say shield officers from disciplinary action.
Posted inLaw and Justice
New Mexico Bucks Criminal Justice Reform Trends, Moves Toward Harsher Penalties
Proponents of tough-on-crime policies aren’t throwing in the towel just yet. In late January, the Republican-controlled New Mexico House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the number of violent felonies punishable under the state’s “three-strikes” law. Currently, New Mexico law mandates a life sentence for repeat offenders convicted of three separate violent […]
Posted inEducation in America
In Free Speech Turnabout, Public Officials Seek to Silence Students
A spate of student protests over racial discrimination on college campuses this fall and winter has triggered a backlash from critics who cast student demands as an affront to free speech. But a dustup this week over legislation introduced in the Missouri legislature suggests that students’ own First Amendment protections may be at risk. On […]
Posted inCivil Rights in America
Politicians Are Still Using Black Lives Matter as a Scare Tactic
In his appearance this past Sunday on Face the Nation, Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie resurrected one of his favorite talking points when he argued that Barack Obama’s recent comments “justifying” Black Lives Matter were “encouraging lawlessness in this country.” The New Jersey governor was referring to a statement Obama made at the end of […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Black Lives Matter Calls for Additional Democratic Debates
Earlier today, the Black Lives Matter national network released a statement petitioning the Democratic National Committee to add more debates to the 2016 Democratic primary schedule, including a debate targeted specifically at addressing racial justice and #BlackLivesMatter. The DNC has scheduled only six debates for the 2016 primary season, with the next taking place on […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Here’s What Was Missing From the Democratic Debate’s Discussion of Race
Activists have been a strong force in the Democratic presidential race. After a confrontation with Black Lives Matter activists in July, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders quickly released racial justice platforms. Hillary Clinton is expected to release her highly anticipated racial justice platform soon, but in the meantime she has worked to keep activists sated […]