Madison, Wisconsin became the first city in the United States to add atheists to a list of protected classes pertaining to employment, housing and other essentials. Similarly, after many legal efforts to provide formal protection to atheists so that they do not have to face discrimination like they do in different parts of the country, a federal judge in Oregon ruled secular humanism to be a religion, thus granting humanists, nonbelievers and atheists legal protection. As of now, it is illegal for atheists to hold office in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi, Maryland and Tennessee.

In a completely unanimous vote, the common council that included five atheists said on April 7 that it would make an amendment to the list of protected classes to ensure atheists, too, are included in it. The protection list addresses various concerns such as physical appearance, citizenship status, disability/handicap, marital status, arrest record, social security number, ancestry or national origin, colour, sex, source of income, religion, race, political beliefs and student status. Tuesday’s vote added atheists to the list, with special mention of employment, public accommodation and housing.

“It’s actually something we’re commonly very concerned about, just because atheism is viewed as such a taboo in this country. And there’s such a stigma with it,” said Chris Calvey, one of the council members and former president of Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics. “It’s really making a big statement that we’re not going to put up with discrimination in the name of God. That being a believer doesn’t mean you can discriminate.”

Ordinance sponsor District 18 Anita Weier said the amendment was necessary because if religion is protected in all its varieties, it is equally important for non-religion to be protected from discrimination as well.

Photo Credits: Huffington Post