Religious Exemptions

Today, U.S. Reps. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA) and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) introduced the Do No Harm Act, a long-overdue correction to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that amends the law to clarify that it does not permit the use of religion to discriminate, force religious beliefs on another or impose dignitary harm on someone else.

Although today’s ruling leaves ambiguity, what is clear is that we need nine justices sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today finalized new rules confirming that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are protected against health care discrimination under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.

On April 5, 2016, Mississippi governor Phil Bryant signed HB1523, an anti-LGBT bill that invites a broad range of individuals, private businesses, and medical and social services agencies to discriminate based on religious beliefs about marriage, non-marital sexual relationships, and conformity with gender stereotypes. This FAQ is designed to help answer questions about this new law.

Mississippi legislators and Gov. Bryant have ignored the voices of reason and responsibility and have exposed many already terribly vulnerable in the state to yet more discrimination, abuse and violence.