Religious Exemption Accountability Project

The Religious Exemption Accountability Project (REAP) empowers queer, trans and non-binary students at more than 200 taxpayer-funded religious schools that actively discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Through civil rights litigation, storytelling, oral history, research and public policy, we work towards a world where LGBTQ students on all campuses are treated equally, with safety and respect.

We launched (REAP) just one year ago as the only national effort solely committed to supporting and empowering LGBTQ students who face discrimination at religious colleges.

Within one year, we’ve elevated the national conversation around anti-LGBTQ discrimination at religious colleges – and put schools on notice: If you discriminate, we will hold you accountable:

• In March 2021, we launched a first-of-its-kind report detailing the rampant abuse and discrimination faced by queer and transgender students at more than 200 religious institutions nationwide.
• Two weeks later, we launched a class-action lawsuit, with 33 (now 46) LGBTQ students demanding that the Department of Education stop granting religious exemptions to schools that discriminate.
• We've ramped up our Campus and Alumni Organizing to assist and help students beyond the scope of litigation by starting petitions, partaking in demonstrations, filing Title IX complaints, and accreditation complaints.
• We currently have 7 open Title IX investigations at religious schools around the country.
• Reap's work, and most importantly, the stories of our plaintiffs and LGBTQ+ students, have been featured in more than 100 media outlets nationwide, including Politico, Washington Post, NBC and Religion News Service. 

When you support REAP, you are supporting a cause that fills a much-needed gap in the LGBTQ movement – with a clear strategy that is laser-focused on ending anti-LGBTQ discrimination at taxpayer-funded religious colleges.

If we’ve accomplished all of this in just one year, imagine – with your support – how powerful this movement will be in the months and years to come.

For more information, visit us at www.TheReap.org