#NoMuslimBanEVER

The AVP Action Brief tracks actions of the Trump administration that impact our communities’ safety and rights and offers concrete steps that we can take to stand up for safety and justice.

We are here for you and we are in this together.

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed part of President Trump’s travel ban to go into effect until it hears oral arguments on the case in the fall. The ban, created by Presidential executive order, bars people from six Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States for 90 days and bars all refugees for 120 days. The Court said that anyone who can show a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” will be exempted from Trump’s 120-day halt on refugee admissions or the 90-day travel ban.

While the ambiguity surrounding the terms “bona fide relationship” and “person or entity” appears open to interpretation—or just sows confusion—the reality is that there should be no Muslim Ban ever. Trump’s executive order fosters Islamophobia and contributes to the hate violence which has been on the rise post-election.

Our LGBTQ Muslim and refugee community members are directly impacted, and we stand with them today—and every day. AVP filed an Amicus Brief with NQAPIA, Immigration Equality, and Skadden, Arps in the State of Hawaii v. Trump case which was one of the two cases that halted the executive order most recently in the courts. AVP plans to file another Amicus Brief for the consolidated cases that will go before the Supreme Court in October. Additionally, AVP’s counselors and legal team often work with refugees and immigrants, and are here if you need us. If you are directly affected, or if you are feeling fearful or anxious in response to this action by the court, please call us at 212-714-1141.

Resist Religious Exemptions

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a court case concerning the owner of a cake shop in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, saying it infringed upon his religious rights as a Christian. The importance of this case cannot be overstated for our communities. If the high court upholds the Masterpiece Cakeshop’s owner’s right to discriminate against LGBTQ people based on religious grounds, the floodgates would be open for many others to try to discrimination in public accommodations against people who are, or are perceived to be, LGBTQ.

In NCAVP’s most recent report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Hate Violence in 2016 the majority of survivors experienced violence by someone they know, including landlords, neighbors, employers, and family members. Everyday environments such as schools, shelters, and workplaces are already unsafe spaces for our communities, and they will be made even less safe should religious exemptions become protected by law. We must call out and resist religious exemption arguments and advocate for increased legal protections for LGBTQ communities on the state and federal level.

Here’s what you can do.

Speak out and let your voice be heard! Call your reps—click this link to find out who to call.
Join the Religious Exemption Executive Order conversation online using the hashtag #LicenseToDiscriminate.
Read our latest report to get the full picture of hate violence and learn more.
Report violence you experience or witness to AVP and Communities Against Hate.
If you know someone who is an LGBTQ survivor of violence who is experiencing trauma or fear as a result of these recent actions, encourage them to contact AVP’s confidential 24-hour English/Spanish hotline at (212) 714-1141. They will be connected with a counselor who understands the ways this political climate is affecting our communities.
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