Freedom of religion as an instrument of legal protection for opponents of same-sex marriages. The changes in Mississippi law after the Obergefell v. Hodges case
Katarzyna Maćkowska
Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1744-931X
Abstract
The article considers the legislative changes which have been recently implemented in Mississippi, initiated by the advocates of traditional marriages in response to the legalization of same-sex marriages. Special attention is paid to the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act. In relation to the abovementioned acts and the Obergefell v. Hodges case, this article provides both a description of the actions that have been taken by the conservative parts of Mississippi’s society and counteractions by the LGBT movement and its supporters. The analysis shows the tension between equality and religious freedom due to the different ways in which they are interpreted by the antagonistic groups. This leads to the conclusion that this conflict may not be efficiently resolved through a legal compromise. However, as is hypothesized in the article, religious freedom may become an important legal instrument for protecting opponents of same-sex marriages from discrimination claims when their religion does not allow them to recognize such marriages.
Keywords:
freedom of religion, equal protection clause, same-sex marriages, Mississippi HB 1523References
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Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Dr hab., prof. KUL, Katedra Historii Ustroju i Prawa, Wydział Prawa, Prawa Kanonicznego i Administracji, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, Al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin; Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence w Delta State University, Cleveland, Missisipi
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1744-931XLicense
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