Targeted state religious exemption laws permit people, churches, non-profit organizations, and sometimes corporations to seek exemptions from providing services that burden their religious beliefs.
State permits state-licensed child welfare agencies to refuse to place and provide services to children and families, including LGBTQ people and same-sex couples, if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs ( 14 states )
State has targeted religious exemption that permits private businesses to deny services to married same-sex couples ( 2 states )
State has targeted religious exemption that permits medical professionals to decline to serve LGBTQ clients ( 10 states )
State has no religious exemption law related to provision of services ( 31 states , 5 territories + D.C. )
*Alabama, Michigan, and Utah permit discrimination only by child service agencies that do not receive government funding. State-licensed agencies can discriminate, but only if they do not receive state funding.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws." https://www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/religious_exemption_laws. Accessed (date of access).
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.
26 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that permit state-licensed child welfare agencies to refuse to place and provide services to children and families, including LGBTQ people and same-sex couples, if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs
2 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have targeted religious exemption that permits private businesses to deny services to married same-sex couples
21 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have targeted religious exemption that permits medical professionals to decline to serve LGBTQ clients
57 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have no religious exemption law related to provision of services
Targeted state religious exemption laws permit state and local officials to decline to marry couples of whose marriage they disapprove.
State has targeted religious exemption law that permits state and local officials to decline to marry couples of whose marriage they disapprove ( 3 states )
State has no religious exemption law related to issuing marriage licenses ( 47 states , 5 territories + D.C. )
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws." https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/religious_exemption_laws (date of access).
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.
6 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have targeted religious exemption law that permits state and local officials to decline to marry couples of whose marriage they disapprove
94 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have no religious exemption law related to issuing marriage licenses
State religious exemption laws permit people, churches, non-profit organizations, and sometimes corporations to seek exemptions from state laws that burden their religious beliefs.
Some states have case law that has interpreted the state constitution to require some level of scrutiny of laws that may impact the exercise of religion. This map does not include those states.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws." https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/religious_exemption_laws (date of access).
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.
1 % of LGBTQ population lives in states with constitutional religious exemption laws
45 % of LGBTQ population lives in states with statutory religious exemption laws
54 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have no broad religious exemption law
| State | Broad Religious Exemption | Targeted Adoption/Child Services Denial | Targeted Marriage Services Denial | Targeted Medical Professionals Denial | Targeted Marriage License Denial |
| Citations | Citations | Citations | Citations | Citations | |
| Alabama | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | ||
| Alaska | |||||
| American Samoa | |||||
| Arizona | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Arkansas | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| California | |||||
| Colorado | |||||
| Connecticut | State does not have this law | ||||
| Delaware | |||||
| District of Columbia | |||||
| Florida | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Georgia | |||||
| Guam | |||||
| Hawaii | |||||
| Idaho | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | ||
| Illinois | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Indiana | State does not have this law | ||||
| Iowa | State does not have this law | ||||
| Kansas | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | ||
| Kentucky | State does not have this law | ||||
| Louisiana | State does not have this law | ||||
| Maine | |||||
| Maryland | |||||
| Massachusetts | |||||
| Michigan | State does not have this law | ||||
| Minnesota | |||||
| Mississippi | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law |
| Missouri | State does not have this law | ||||
| Montana | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Nebraska | |||||
| Nevada | |||||
| New Hampshire | |||||
| New Jersey | |||||
| New Mexico | State does not have this law | ||||
| New York | |||||
| North Carolina | State does not have this law | ||||
| North Dakota | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands | |||||
| Ohio | State does not have this law | ||||
| Oklahoma | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Oregon | |||||
| Pennsylvania | State does not have this law | ||||
| Puerto Rico | |||||
| Rhode Island | State does not have this law | ||||
| South Carolina | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | ||
| South Dakota | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Tennessee | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |
| Texas | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| U.S. Virgin Islands | |||||
| Utah | State does not have this law | ||||
| Vermont | |||||
| Virginia | State does not have this law | State does not have this law | |||
| Washington | |||||
| West Virginia | State does not have this law | ||||
| Wisconsin | |||||
| Wyoming |
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Founded in 2006, the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is an independent, nonprofit think tank that provides rigorous research, insight and communications that help speed equality and opportunity for all.
MAP works to ensure that all people have a fair chance to pursue health and happiness, earn a living, take care of the ones they love, be safe in their communities, and participate in civic life. MAP is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and donations to MAP are 100% tax-deductible. You can read more about MAP and the work we do on our About page.
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The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.
“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.
