Happy Pride Month! As people across the country celebrate Pride and the fourth anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision making marriage equality law of the land, we’re waiting for another major ruling that will have a direct impact on the lives of LGBTQ people across the country. On this week’s State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast, we’ll take a look at upcoming court decisions, how little we know about white supremacy, and faith-inspired grassroots activism.
With only four weeks left in this year’s Supreme Court session, some of the most high-profile and consequential cases have yet to be decided, including a ruling that will determine whether businesses have the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people based on religious beliefs. Rabbi Jay Michaelson, author, activist and attorney, will join State of Belief host Rev. Welton Gaddy this week to discuss Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. At the heart of the case is a baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, claiming he was right to do so on free speech grounds. Welton and Jay will also examine the other cases still before the court and what the decisions could mean for the future of faith and public life in the United States.
The Justice not Jails initiative from the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity recently released the results of an online survey that points to a shocking amount of misinformation about our collective history around matters of civil rights and race in this country. While not conclusive, the findings are certainly worth examining – and we’ll do so with the Rev. Peter Laarman.
Hyper-partisanship and political gridlock characterize much of our national politics, but at the state and local level, it can still be a different story. Working to change the narrative is the Faith in Action Fund, sister organization of Faith in Action (formerly PICO National Network), dedicated to holding elected officials accountable to the communities in which they serve, especially in communities of color. The group’s executive director, Andrea Marta, will join Welton this week to talk about organizing in an era of political gridlock and why all of us – especially people of faith – should engage in local politics.