Humanists Lobby for the Do No Harm Act in Over 20 States in One Day
Photo by Harold Mendoza on Unsplash “Can we count on your office to support the Do No Harm Act this Congress?”
That question (or a variation of it) was asked 50 times in July, as humanists from across the country met with their members of Congress during the American Humanist Association’s largest Lobby Day to date. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually, which made it even more accessible to our members who aren’t able to fly into Washington, DC for a more traditional lobby day.
Lobby Day by the numbers: 67 advocates met with 50 congressional offices from 21 states (including DC).
But these numbers, while impressive, don’t accurately reflect the impact that AHA supporters had. Humanists testified passionately to the harm religious discrimination has on their transgender neighbors and friends. They talked strategy with congressional staffers: what do we need to do to get this bill passed? What’s the next step? And how can we help in-district?
The staff at AHA could not have managed this feat alone. Our partners at American Atheists, the Secular Coalition for America, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation graciously volunteered their energy, time, and expertise to help out.
But more importantly, the AHA could not have reached this number of elected officials without the humanist constituents, who hail from all over the country, and stepped up to meet with their members of Congress to advocate for humanist values. Many were old hats at this, but most were first-time advocates.
As your lobbyist in Washington, I’ve become skilled at building coalitions, digging into policy, and establishing relationships with policymakers. But, besides speaking with my own member of Congress (shout out to Congressional Freethought Member, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton), I will always fall at least a little short of effectively conveying how local constituents feel on an issue.
That’s why lobby days are so important, and it’s why they would be meaningless without AHA supporters. Humanist constituents are the best advocates when it comes to sharing how policy impacts the lives of the people our elected officials represent.
The bill we lobbied on, the Do No Harm Act, would certainly impact humanists’ lives for the better.
In the years since the enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), we have seen individuals and organizations weaponize the law for their benefit, using religion as a sword against others rather than a shield as intended. The law was used by the previous president to exempt federally funded foster care agencies from federal regulations barring discrimination, to allow for-profit companies exemptions from providing employees insurance coverage that includes contraception, to justify blatant pay discrimination against female employees, and so much more.
The solution is the Do No Harm Act. The bill, which already boasts more than 125 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, would finally ensure that federal nondiscrimination protections don’t play second fiddle to religion. This crucial bill would restore RFRA to its original intent and make it perfectly clear that no one in this country can use their religious beliefs to sidestep long-established civil rights protections in employment, healthcare, public services, and more.
To those who joined us: thank you so much for making the day such a success and—most importantly—for being amazing advocates for humanist values. And to our readers who couldn’t participate this year: you can still help us build on our momentum by reaching out to your congressional offices through our Action Headquarters and urge them to support the Do No Harm Act and invite them to join the Congressional Freethought Caucus.