Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

Democracy at Work in Shelters and Food Banks

Published: 
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Marginalized people need to know that they have the right to vote. To that end, I was recently one of a small group of thoughtful, committed Seattle University law students who helped people in local homeless shelters and food banks participate in the democratic process.
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Settlement Protects Religious Freedom for Inmates in Pierce County Jail

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Pierce County Jail is adopting new policies to protect the religious freedom of inmates, according to a settlement agreement announced today by the ACLU of Washington and the Public Interest Law Group, PLLC (PILG).  The settlement is a result of a lawsuit that challenged jail officials’ failure to accommodate the religious needs of Muslim inmates and their operation of a program that granted extra benefits and services to Christian inmates. The ACLU-WA and PILG filed the suit (Tarrer v. Pierce County) in U.S. District Court in Tacoma in September 2010 on behalf of inmates at the jail.
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The ACLU of Washington Goes Purple for LGBT Youth

Published: 
Friday, October 19, 2012
Today is Spirit Day when people across the country wear purple as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying.  
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The Freedom to Marry Hits the Airwaves

Published: 
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Two weeks ago we brought you news about the four states that have marriage-related ballot initiativesthis fall. As the election quickly approaches, each of the campaigns in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington have begun running television ads that highlight the stories of individuals, religious leaders, and community leaders who support the freedom to marry. These ads show the underlying issue at stake this fall – that marriage, both for straight and gay couples, is about building a life with someone and making a commitment to take care of and love one another.
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Law and Liberty: Minimizing Criminal History as a Barrier to Employment and Housing

Published: 
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
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Support for I-502 Is Busting Out All Over

Published: 
Thursday, October 4, 2012
“GOP Senate hopeful latest to endorse legal pot” proclaimed an Associated Press report carried by media statewide yesterday.  It came after Michael Baumgartner, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate who is a state senator from Spokane, announced that he is supporting Initiative 502 – citing his experience as an advisor to a counternarcotics team in Afghanistan.
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Free Speech Means Protecting Controversial Speech

Published: 
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
A vibrant democratic society prizes freedom of speech. Its government does not try to protect the public from messages that some people find offensive or disturbing. President Obama asserted this principle before the United Nations General Assembly saying, "…in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities.”
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Appeals Court Hears Lawsuit to Uphold Free Speech Rights on Buses

News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments in a lawsuit seeking to uphold the Seattle Middle East Awareness Campaign’s free speech rights on Metro buses. It is when we are faced with speech which is upsetting to some people that support of the First Amendment is most important.
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The 2012 Freedom to Marry Ballot Initiatives: On the Ground in Four Key States

Published: 
Monday, October 1, 2012
Marriage for same-sex couples is on the ballot in four states this November, and it will be a pivotal moment for the LGBT movement. In Maine, Maryland and Washington voters have the opportunity to expand the freedom to marry to same-sex couples; and Minnesota voters could make that state the first ever to defeat a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.  Even a single ballot box win would change the national debate and would reinforce the polls showing growing majorities across the country that support marriage for committed same-sex couples.
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Board Candidate Statements

Published: 
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
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