Wisconsin city bans discrimination against atheists

May 06, 2015

Without dissent, the city council of Madison, Wisconsin, has banned discrimination on account of “nonreligion” in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

“It boils down to the misinformation and prejudice that gets passed down generation to generation,” said Todd Stiefel, president of Openly Secular, according to an AP report. “People have been raised being told that atheists are evil and they eat babies and they can’t be trusted.”

“Protected classes” in city law now include “sex, race, religion or nonreligion, color, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, age, handicap/disability, marital status, source of income, arrest record or conviction record, less than honorable discharge, physical appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic identity, political beliefs, familial status, student, domestic partner, or receipt of rental assistance.”

Organizations controlled by a “nonreligion association” or “religious denomination” are exempt from the employment-discrimination provisions of the ban.

 

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Further information:

• Madison law bans religious discrimination ... against atheists (AP)
• Madison, Wisconsin Bars Discrimination Against Atheists, Agnostics, and Nonbelievers (Religion Clause)