Below are examples of religiously-motivated laws and rules being imposed on all Utahns. If enough people speak up about these issues, we can enact change.
Please let your opinions be heard....
(1) ...in letters or emails to your goverment representatives and/or school leaders, or by speaking during public comment time in meetings held by governments and/or school boards,
and
(2) ... in conversations with your friends and relatives.
If you would like more information about any item described below, or if you need help identifying who your representative is in local, state, or national government, email us at ffrfslc@gmail.com.
Utah has one of the most restrictive book ban laws in the country. Books are being removed from schools for reasons that appear to be based on religious beliefs of a few extremists. Many religious moderates and non-religious Utahns find nothing objectionable in the banned books, and in fact think the books contain positive ideas which we want our children to be able to read. But these books aren't in school libraries and students aren't even allowed to have them in their possession at all.
Several laws have been passed and policies put in place in Utah which oppress the LGBTQ community. The transgender bathroom bill, transgender dorm room bill, pride flag ban, adoption restrictions, and similar laws and policies, together with the lack of laws fully protecting LGBTQ individuals from discrimination send a clear message of oppression to LGBTQ people. Very real harm is being done to genuinely good people as a result.
Utah legislators have fought long and hard against letting women have the right to decide for themselves whether or not to continue an unplanned pregnancy. Religious extremists in Utah are denying local women the ability to decide for themselves whether and when to have children and are thus denying women the power to control their own lives and futures
Utah legislators have drawn gerrymandered voting maps which give the Republican party 100% of Utah's congressional seats, despite that party only comprising about half of Utah voters. When Utahns are asked how they rationalize this injustice, one reply is an appeal to religion, with the claim that the Democratic party "promotes sin"... i.e. LGBTQ rights and abortion rights... and any action that denies power to those "sin promoters" is justified in God's eyes.
School vouchers are transferring tax-payer money to private schools, a large portion of which are religious schools. Taxpayer funds are being used by homeschoolers to buy curriculum materials that deny science and indoctrinate children with extreme religious beliefs.
Utah law requires that every school building in the state must prominently display the phrase "In God We Trust". Children from families who don't trust in a god have to walk past those prominently posted words every day, giving them the clear message that "If you don't believe in God then in the eyes of this school, the word 'we' does not include 'you'. You are an outsider. You are not fully welcome here."
Terminally ill patients in Utah are not allowed to die in the manner they choose, with the assistance of a physician, and instead are being forced to endure a long, painful, and dehumanizing end of life experience. The reasons given for refusing to allow death with dignity are religiously motivated beliefs that end-of-life care encroaches on God’s sole ability to decide when someone dies.
If you have ideas for more examples, or suggestions for how to improve the descriptions given above, please send your suggestions to ffrfslc@gmail.com.