Guest Opinion: How Prop 50 fights Christian nationalism and protects LGBTQ+ Californians

Christian nationalists understand something too many of us forget: Control the map, and you control the laws. After President Donald Trump told Texas Republicans to “find more seats,” Governor Greg Abbott’s new congressional map did exactly that – rewarding loyalty to Trump and punishing anyone who stands for secular government.

California’s Proposition 50 is the response. It allows California to temporarily rebalance its congressional districts – canceling out those rigged gains and protecting the constitutional wall between church and state.

The stakes are clear when you look at who Texas already sends to Washington. Some of America’s leading Christian nationalists already represent the state in Congress. Congressmember Michael Cloud (R) declared that Christians are called to “ establish God’s government on Earth ,” and Congressmember Chip Roy (R) demanded “ protection against religious discrimination from Biden’s bureaucrats .” With Texas’ new gerrymandered maps, we can expect even more extremists like them headed to Washington.

That should alarm all of us – especially LGBTQ+ and secular Americans. More Christian nationalists in Congress means more attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, more interference in personal health care decisions and bodily autonomy, and more dangerous rhetoric that puts our communities at risk. We could expect efforts to roll back decades of progress – to erase protections that safeguard both equality and the separation of church and state.

It’s a terrifying prospect. Hard-won protections for all Americans could be rolled back, and we could find ourselves living in a future that looks far too much like a past we thought we’d left behind.

Right now, California is the epicenter of the fight to stop that from happening. By redrawing its congressional districts, the state can neutralize the unfair advantages Republicans have engineered in other states and ensure that every Californian’s vote still counts. California’s bold response has already inspired other Democratic-led states to follow suit.

But let’s talk about what Prop 50 will actually do.

Prop 50 allows California to rebalance its congressional maps, but the changes are temporary . After 2030, the state will return to maps drawn through the U.S. Census and the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Voters will decide on Prop 50 in the November 4 statewide special election, and ballots have already been mailed.

We’ve already seen what happens when Christian nationalists gain power in Congress: attempts to gut the Johnson Amendment to allow churches to engage in political campaigns, passage of a national religious school voucher , and the defunding of Planned Parenthood . With more safe seats and a larger Republican majority, the Trump administration and its MAGA allies in Congress will have a freer hand to advance a Christian nationalist and anti-democratic agenda.

A pro-separation of church and state majority, made possible through Prop 50 and California voters, can stop that. A pro-separation majority can block religious school voucher bills, stop sectarian giveaways in reconciliation, and hold the Trump administration accountable through committee oversight.

Prop 50 is a line in the sand. It stands up to bullies who want to rig elections, silence secular Americans, and enshrine Christian nationalism into law.

That’s why the Freedom From Religion Foundation Action Fund and Equality California support Prop 50 and are encouraging their advocates to vote yes on Prop 50. Prop 50 allows California voters to defend their own representation, create a fair national playing field, secure a Congress that protects constitutional principles, block sectarian overreach, and hold Trump and his allies accountable.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, a straight ally, is president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation Action Fund. Tony Hoang, a gay man, is executive director of Equality California , the statewide LGBTQ rights organization.