The ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project protects everyone's right to make informed decisions free from government interference about their sexuality, including whether and when to become a parent. The ACLU of Mississippi's Reproductive Freedom Project is dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive rights for all Missipians through education, advocacy, and litigation.
As part of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the Mississippi Department of Human Services holds an annual teen abstinence summit each May. Using taxpayer dollars, the 2009 summit featured religious themes and overtly Christian messages. Among the presentations a local judge offered a lengthy presentation about the Ten Commandments, in which he implored the audience, "Abstain, God says, from promiscuous sex – thou shall not commit adultery. But why? Is not God being a killjoy? Did He not create this great gift which is so good and wonderful? Why would He tell us not to do it? He's not. He's telling us that He created this great and wonderful gift for a special and unique committed relationship that is to last forever." The program also included several prayers and a performance to gospel songs by the Pilgrim Rest Mime Ministry.
On September 9, 2009, the ACLU and the ACLU of Mississippi asked a federal court in Mississippi to end government funding of religion in the state's abstinence-only-until-marriage program. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District on behalf of a teen and two community members who attended the annual abstinence summit.
Kate Royals, a Milsaps College senior who attended the summit, has a Huffington Post blog post about the conference.
A rally held by the Mississippi Dept of Human Services uses taxpayer money to proselytize in favor of abstinence from sex before marriage programs. ACLU attorney Brigitte Amiri says this is illegal under the Constitution.