Does religious freedom include the right to discriminate? The first amendment says you and your religious exercise are protected rights. But practicing your faith can’t come at the expense of other people’s well-being, public safety, and taxpayer dollars.
Read how Tamesha Means was denied a lifesaving service based on religious objection.
With increasing frequency, we are seeing individuals and institutions claiming a right to discriminate—by refusing to provide services to women and LGBT people—based on religious objections. The discrimination takes many forms, including the following:
- Religiously affiliated schools firing women because they became pregnant while not married
- Business owners refusing to provide insurance coverage for contraception for their employees
- Graduate students, training to be social workers, refusing to counsel gay people
- Pharmacies turning away women seeking to fill birth control prescriptions
- Bridal salons, photo studios, and reception halls closing their doors to same-sex couples planning their weddings
While the situations may differ, one thing remains the same: Religion is being used as an excuse to discriminate against and harm others.
