{"id":19031,"date":"2014-02-25T13:25:26","date_gmt":"2014-02-25T18:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/arizona-bill-sparks-debate-about-religious-objections-to-gay-marriage\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:44:13","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:44:13","slug":"arizona-bill-sparks-debate-about-religious-objections-to-gay-marriage","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2014\/02\/25\/arizona-bill-sparks-debate-about-religious-objections-to-gay-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona bill sparks debate about religious objections to gay marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Same-sex marriage is not legal in Arizona, but the state has quickly become the center of a national debate surrounding the issue after its legislature <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/02\/22\/us\/religious-right-in-arizona-cheers-bill-allowing-businesses-to-refuse-to-serve-gays.html\">passed a \u201creligious freedom\u201d bill<\/a> last week. The measure, which Gov. Jan Brewer must decide by Friday whether to sign into law, would <a href=\"http:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/legtext\/51leg\/2r\/bills\/sb1062s.pdf\">allow business owners to cite religious beliefs<\/a> as a reason for denying services \u2013 including to same-sex couples \u2013 without fear of legal retribution.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arizona is not alone. Several other states \u2013 including Kansas, Tennessee, Oregon, Idaho and South Dakota \u2013 have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/the-fix\/wp\/2014\/02\/24\/the-states-fighting-the-fight-between-religious-rights-vs-gay-rights\/\">considered similar measures recently<\/a>, with some bills mentioning marriage specifically.\u00a0For instance, <a href=\"http:\/\/legis.sd.gov\/docs\/legsession\/2014\/Bills\/SB67P.pdf\">South Dakota\u2019s bill<\/a> \u2013 since rejected \u2013 said businesses would not be required to provide services \u201crelated to the\u2026celebration of any marriage&#8230;if such action would cause any such person or personal business to violate the person&#8217;s sincerely held religious beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of those states <a href=\"http:\/\/features.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/religion\/same-sex-marriage-state-by-state\/\">currently allow same-sex marriage<\/a>, but legislators\u2019 efforts may be preemptive. A growing percentage of Americans (72%, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2013\/06\/06\/in-gay-marriage-debate-both-supporters-and-opponents-see-legal-recognition-as-inevitable\/\">May 2013 Pew Research survey<\/a>) see legal recognition of same-sex marriage as \u201cinevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.pewresearch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2014\/02\/FT_religious-groups-same-sex-marriage-beliefs.png\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ececec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ececec;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"412\" height=\"293\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/02\/FT_religious-groups-same-sex-marriage-beliefs.png?resize=412,293 412w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" class=\"wp-image-29588 not-transparent\" title=\"Majorities in Most Religious Groups Say Same-Sex Marriage Would Violate Religious Beliefs\" alt=\"Majorities in Most Religious Groups Say Same-Sex Marriage Would Violate Religious Beliefs\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/02\/FT_religious-groups-same-sex-marriage-beliefs.png\" ><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than half of Americans (56%) say same-sex marriage would go against their religious beliefs, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2013\/03\/20\/growing-support-for-gay-marriage-changed-minds-and-changing-demographics\/\">survey we conducted in March 2013<\/a>. But about half of those who say\u00a0that same-sex marriage goes against their beliefs also say that gay couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">States that have legalized same-sex marriage often have included <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2013\/11\/20\/states-that-allow-same-sex-marriage-also-provide-protections-for-religious-groups-and-clergy-who-oppose-it\/\">exemptions for religious groups and clergy who oppose it<\/a>, and courts have interpreted the U.S. Constitution to include broad protections that allow religious groups not to participate in same-sex marriages. But, so far, exemptions have not been granted to businesses and religious business owners, some of which have faced lawsuits alleging discrimination.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of these cases involves a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/11\/19\/us\/weighing-free-speech-in-refusal-to-photograph-ceremony.html?_r=0\">New Mexico photographer<\/a>, Elaine Huguenin, who for religious reasons refused a request by a lesbian couple to photograph their commitment ceremony. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nmcompcomm.us\/nmcases\/nmsc\/slips\/SC33,687.pdf\">New Mexico Supreme Court ruled<\/a> last year that Huguenin violated the state\u2019s anti-discrimination laws and either had to start serving same-sex couples or close down; she has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review her case and is awaiting their answer. So far, courts in similar cases in other states also have sided with same-sex couples and against businesses.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly a quarter of LGBT Americans (23%) <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/social-trends\/2013\/06\/13\/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans\/3\/#chapter-2-social-acceptance\">say they have received poor service<\/a> in a restaurant, hotel or other place of business because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bill would allow business owners to cite religious beliefs as a reason for denying services \u2013 including to same-sex couples \u2013 without fear of legal 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