Arizona's Senate Bill 1062 did not give businesses the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians, but it did say they could use religious belief as a defense if they were sued for refusing service. In any case, the issue has not disappeared since Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the measures under heavy pressure from businesses and gay rights groups. As more and more states recognize the right to same-sex marriage, some religious conservatives are finding ways to fight back. Photographers, bakers and florists have claimed they can't participate in same-sex weddings without violating their religious beliefs. Is that outright discrimination or an exercise of the First Amendment? Can hotels, restaurants or other public businesses do the same thing? We hear how the Religious Freedom Movement is making waves from Arizona and other states to the US Supreme Court.
The Clash of Religious Freedom and Civil Rights
More
- Americans United Applauds Arizona Governor's Veto Of Discriminatory 'Religious Freedom' Bill
- Boston's 'Taking Liberties: Why Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You the Right to Tell Other People What to Do'
- Eilperin on conservatives' vow to fight for religious liberties after Brewer's veto of gay discrimination bill
- Eilperin on states that have heightened protections for religious freedom
- Hobby Lobby case, TtP feature on
- Laycock's 'Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts'
- Mike Lee's (R-UT) 'Marriage and Religious Freedom Act'
- Religious Freedom Restoration Act
- The Oath: The Obama White House and The Supreme Court
- Toobin on Arizona's anti-gay law and the Hobby Lobby case
Credits
Guests:
- Juliet Eilperin - senior national affairs correspondent for The Washington Post - @eilperin
- John Eastman - National Organization for Marriage - @Chapman_Law
- Rob Boston - Americans United for Separation of Church and State - @americansunited
- Douglas Laycock - University of Virginia - @UVALaw
- Jeffrey Toobin - New Yorker magazine / CNN - @JeffreyToobin