Religious Exemptions

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.

Today we feel very fortunate that LGBT people and people with living with HIV were spared from the terrible consequences of HB 757.

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (“LGBT”) and people living with HIV are on the line again this year before the United States Supreme Court.

Recently, as these election-year LGBT-bashing bills have proliferated, some gay bloggers and reporters have started asking what members of the community also must be wondering: Are our LGBT organizations prepared to deal with this unprecedented level of legislative and ballot attacks? Lambda Legal has been preparing steadily during the past three years and implementing strategies to fight back and win. At the same time, we know our opponents are well-funded and determined, and winning will not be easy.