#alternate alternate [view-mobile-icon.png] View mobile site January 25, 2015 Huffpost Politics Edition: U.S. (BUTTON) Show/Hide + Brasil BR + Canada CA + Deutschland DE + España ES + France FR + Ελλάδα (Greece) GR + India IN + Italia IT + 日本 (Japan) JP + 한국 (Korea) KR + Maghreb MG + United Kingdom UK + United States US * * Follow * Newsletters Get PoliticsNewsletters Email address ____________________ Enter Email Address Go * Huffington Post Search Search The Huffington Post Enter Search Terms ____________________ Submit Search Go * * iOS app * Android app * More * Desktop Alerts * Log in * Create Account $USERNAME + Desktop Notifications + Profile + Settings + Logout * FRONT PAGE * Politics o Steve King: I Was Being 'Kind' By Referring To Obama's Guest As 'Deportable' 1K o Recovered Film Gives An Amazing First Look At Scenes From World War II 76 o Ben Carson Appeals To Republicans In Iowa 0 o Saudi Succession Raises Questions For ISIS Fight 75 o Bernie Sanders Got Republicans To Make His Argument For Universal Health Care 682 Go to Politics More in Politics o Pollster o Politics Blog o Off The Bus o Election Maps o Pollster You Might Also Like o WorldPost o Green o Black Voices o Latino Voices o Gay Voices * Business o States Where The Middle Class Is Dying 0 o This Is The Ultimate Routine For A Perfect Work Day 80 o This CEO Fought For Better Wages At His Company. Guess What Happened. 39 o Saudi Prince: Oil Will Never Be $100 A Barrel Again 270 o McDonald's Profit Plunges 21 Percent 138 Go to Business More in Business o Small Biz o Money You Might Also Like o WorldPost o Tech o Media o Arts o Sports o Weird News o Smarter Ideas o Urban Progress * Entertainment o Anne Hathaway Has The Best Response To Amal Clooney Comparisons 126 o Taylor Swift Finally Reveals Her Belly Button Because She's Fearless 0 o Diplo Says He Knows Taylor Swift's 'Secrets' And He's 'Scared For His Life' 78 o Kanye Finally Explains Why He Doesn't Smile 0 o Draco Malfoy Is Actually A Gryffindor 9 Go to Entertainment More in Entertainment o Celebrity o TV You Might Also Like o Comedy o Arts o Books o Food o Style o Weird News o Moviefone * Media o Sports Illustrated Lays Off Entire Photo Staff 121 o Conservative PAC Slams Liberal Media Bias, MSNBC In New Ad 267 o NYT Editor: Media Failed After 9/11, Hopes Next Snowden Comes To Them 33 o Seth Meyers Pokes Fun At CNN And Its 'Wild Guesses' 4 o Al Sharpton Pokes Fun At Infamous Teleprompter Flub 21 Go to Media More in Media o Eat The Press o Calderone: The Backstory You Might Also Like o Entertainment o TV o Comedy o Arts o Books o Religion o Moviefone * WorldPost o Alleged ISIS Video Claims Japanese Hostage Was Executed, Issues New Demand For Second 0 o Radical Left Set To Win Crucial Greek Election 278 o Fighting In Ukraine Surges To Worst Level In Months 111 o At Least 30 Civilians Killed By Rocket Fire In Ukraine 0 o Syriza Leads Final Polls Before Greek Election 0 Go to WorldPost More in WorldPost o Foreign Affairs o Drug War o Afghanistan o Syria Conflict o World Videos You Might Also Like o Travel o Politics o Business o Tech o Religion * Sports o Bill Belichick: 'I've Handled Dozens Of Balls Over The Past Week' 0 o Richard Sherman Perfectly Sums Up The Hypocrisy Of The NFL 811 o REPORT: Tom Brady Allied With Peyton Manning To Change Ball Rule In 2006 85 o Klay Thompson Nabs A NBA Record 21 o 'Bad Lip Reading Of The NFL' Returns, Remains Hilarious 3 Go to Sports More in Sports o NFL o College Football o MLB o Fails o Highlights You Might Also Like o TV o Food o Tech o Comedy o Weird News * Tech o Standalone HBO Could Inspire Millions To Ditch Cable, Survey Says 0 o Microsoft Exec Reveals 'Wow' Technology 0 o Illinois Is Not Actually Requiring Students To Hand Over Their Facebook Passwords 6 o Netflix CEO Says ‘Marco Polo' Is A Hit, And We'll Never Know Otherwise 127 o You Can Watch Amazon's Hit Show 'Transparent' For Free This Saturday 4 Go to Tech More in Tech o TEDWeekends o Social Media You Might Also Like o Small Biz o Green o Science o NY o SF o Smarter Ideas o TechCrunch o Engadget * Green o Significant Winter Storm Bears Down On The Northeast 16 o 200 Yellowstone Bison Allegedly Sent To Slaughter 20 o This Is Chewy. He And 50 Other Amazing Animals Need A Home. 3 o Massive Swell Hits Hawaii, Entire State Gets Stoked 6 o Some Homes Near Oil Spill Report Dark Ooze Coming Out Of Taps 2 Go to Green More in Green o Energy o Climate Change o Animals o Green Tech o Green Holiday You Might Also Like o Politics o Food o WorldPost o Science o Healthy Living * Gay Voices o LOOK: Check Out 'My Husband's Not Straight,' Hosted By George Takei 5 o WATCH: Leading Evolutionary Biologist Reads Hilarious Anti-Gay Hate Mail 94 o LOOK: Bears Show You How To Get Busy... In The Kitchen 3 o Patrick Stewart Says He's 'Flattered' At Being Mistaken For Gay 11 o McDonald's Employee Tells Gay Men Their Kiss Is 'Making People Feel Uncomfortable' 185 Go to Gay Voices More in Gay Voices o Transgender o Bisexual o Lesbian o Gay Marriage o Don't Ask, Don't Tell o Voice to Voice o Poll Position You Might Also Like o Black Voices o Latino Voices o Style * HuffPost Live o Next Top Stories For Monday, Jan. 26 o Next DAVOS: The Key Takeaways o Tomorrow Finding Pleasure In Weight Loss o Tomorrow White House Promotes Rape Documentary o Later 'Ace of Cakes' Baker Duff Goldman LIVE Go to Huffpost Live * All Sections o News # Politics # WorldPost # Business # Small Business # Money # Media # Sports # Education # Crime # Weird News # Good News o Entertainment # Entertainment # Celebrity # Comedy # Arts & Culture # Books # TV o Life & Style # Healthy Living # GPS for the Soul # Style # Home # Taste # Weddings # Travel # Parents # Divorce # Huff/Post 50 # Marlo Thomas # OWN # Dr. Phil o Tech & Science # Tech # Science # Green # Code o Voices # Women # Black Voices # Latino Voices # Voces (en español) # Gay Voices # Religion # College # Teen # Impact o Local # Chicago # DC # Denver # Detroit # Hawaii # Los Angeles # Miami # New York # San Francisco Our Mobile Apps: o iOS o Android o HuffPost Live (iOS) o GPS For The Soul (iOS) o GPS For The Soul (Android) * Politics * Pollster * Elections 2014 * 2016 * Eat The Press * HuffPost Hill * CPI * Third Metric * Howard Fineman's Political Read * Image for The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think 2015-01-20 15:20:41 * Image for Iran Sanctions Supporters Don't Want To Improve Nuclear Talks. They Want To Destroy Them. Iran Sanctions Supporters Don't Want To Improve Nuclear Talks. They Want To Destroy Them. 2015-01-22 20:11:40 * Image for Powerful Photos Depict Veterans Who Use Art Therapy To Heal Powerful Photos Depict Veterans Who Use Art Therapy To Heal 2015-01-22 15:27:00 * Image for House Passes Anti-Abortion Bill On Anniversary Of Roe v. Wade House Passes Anti-Abortion Bill On Anniversary Of Roe v. Wade 2015-01-22 13:52:04 * Image for Bernie Sanders Got Republicans To Make His Argument For Universal Health Care Bernie Sanders Got Republicans To Make His Argument For Universal Health Care 2015-01-23 16:21:34 * Image for Scientists Warn We're Ever-Closer To The Apocalypse Scientists Warn We're Ever-Closer To The Apocalypse 2015-01-22 19:21:36 * Image for Sarah Palin 'Seriously Interested' In Running For President In 2016 Sarah Palin 'Seriously Interested' In Running For President In 2016 2015-01-24 15:03:17 * Image for Recovered Film Gives An Amazing First Look At Scenes From World War II Recovered Film Gives An Amazing First Look At Scenes From World War II 2015-01-23 14:00:23 * Image for Judge Strikes Down Alabama's Gay Marriage Ban Judge Strikes Down Alabama's Gay Marriage Ban 2015-01-23 18:53:29 * Image for Steve King: I Was Being 'Kind' By Referring To Obama's Guest As 'Deportable' Steve King: I Was Being 'Kind' By Referring To Obama's Guest As 'Deportable' 2015-01-23 19:30:06 * Image for More Bad News For Bob McDonnell More Bad News For Bob McDonnell 2015-01-24 03:59:37 * Image for Obama Predicts Bright Future For Legal Weed Obama Predicts Bright Future For Legal Weed 2015-01-22 21:15:09 * Image for House Republicans Propose Bill Mandating Ultrasounds Before Abortions House Republicans Propose Bill Mandating Ultrasounds Before Abortions 2015-01-23 17:59:17 * Image for Chris Christie Reassures Iowa Voters That He's Conservative Enough Chris Christie Reassures Iowa Voters That He's Conservative Enough 2015-01-24 23:19:26 * Image for GOP Presses State Bills Limiting Gay Rights Before Supreme Court Ruling GOP Presses State Bills Limiting Gay Rights Before Supreme Court Ruling 2015-01-24 11:04:29 (BUTTON) Previous Story (BUTTON) Next Story Conservatives Are Clinging On To Religious Exemptions To Fight Same-Sex Marriage AP | By RACHEL ZOLL Posted: 10/14/2014 12:30 pm EDT Updated: 12/14/2014 5:59 am EST RAINBOW FLAG Members and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community walk with a rainbow flag during a rally in Kolkata on July 13, 2014. Hundreds of LGBT activists particpated in the rally to demand equal social and human rights for their community and stop social discrimination. AFP PHOTO/ Dibyangshu Sarkar (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images) | DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images + + Share + Tweet + + Email + Comment + Share on Google+ + tumblr + stumble + reddit Alarmed by the broad expansion of same-sex marriage set in motion by the U.S. Supreme Court, religious conservatives are moving their fight to state legislatures — seeking exemptions that would allow some groups, companies and people with religious objections to refuse benefits or service for gay spouses. But winning sweeping carve-outs for faith-affiliated adoption agencies or individual wedding vendors will be an uphill battle. Public attitudes against exceptions have hardened, and efforts by faith groups in states where courts, not lawmakers, recognized same-sex unions have had little success. "When the judiciary does it they don't do the kind of balancing that legislatures tend to do," said Tim Schultz, president of the 1st Amendment Partnership, which has organized legislative caucuses focused on religious liberty in 20 states. Every state legislative debate over gay marriage has addressed the question of whether religious objectors could be exempt in any way from recognizing same-sex unions. But in states where same-sex marriage became law through the courts, only one, Connecticut, followed up by enacting significant new exemptions. Massachusetts, Iowa and New Jersey have provided no opt-outs for gay marriage opponents. Until recently, gay rights groups accepted some exceptions to pick up badly needed votes from conservative lawmakers. But that political pressure has dropped as acceptance of same-sex unions has grown. Gay advocates say broad carve-outs perpetuate the very discrimination they had been working to end. That argument gained currency after the Hobby Lobby ruling last June. The high court decided the arts-and-crafts chain and other closely held private businesses with religious objections could opt out of providing employees the free contraceptive coverage required by the Affordable Care Act. While conservatives rejoiced, liberal groups were outraged, and many vowed to aggressively oppose exceptions for faith groups. Soon after, prominent gay rights and civil rights groups withdrew their support from the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, because of the wide reach of its exemption. "I think there's a broad consensus that the rules should apply to everyone, which is why we withdrew our support from ENDA," said Jennifer Pizer, senior counsel at the national gay rights group Lambda Legal. "If you have different standards, then it communicates a message that some kinds of discrimination are not as serious as others." The religious exemption fight isn't about what happens inside the sanctuary. First Amendment protections for worship and clergy are clear. The concern instead is for religious organizations with some business in the public arena. That category includes faith-affiliated associations that rent their properties to the public for wedding receptions; religious charities that provide adoption and other social services, often with government funding; and individual religious objectors such as justices of the peace, government clerks or business owners. The exemptions approved so far have generally been much narrower than faith leaders sought, although opponents did win some meaningful concessions. About a half-dozen states allowed religious associations, such as the Knights of Columbus, or some faith-based nonprofits to deny specific benefits for gay couples — such as insurance for spouses — or refuse to serve them. A few states allowed privately funded adoption agencies to refuse to place children with gay couples. Religiously affiliated marriage support programs, such as Christian couples' retreats, were exempted in several states. But many of the states only reiterated First Amendment protections for worship. Still, the high court decision last week to turn away appeals by states trying to protect their same-sex marriage bans moves the debate over exemptions into territory that is more conservative, politically and religiously. Utah, Nevada and Idaho are heavily Mormon. South Carolina, where the attorney general is fighting to uphold the state's gay marriage ban despite the court ruling, is largely evangelical Protestant. "Some of the states are so red — think South Carolina — that the legislature can likely lock down all kinds of religious liberty protections, even those we have not yet seen adopted anywhere, like protection for the small mom-and-pop wedding professionals, simply because they have the votes of like-minded colleagues," said Robin Fretwell Wilson, a family law specialist at the University of Illinois, Champaign, who tracks exemptions in state laws. State Rep. Jacob Anderegg, a Utah Republican, said he plans to reintroduce a religious exemptions bill he had temporarily shelved amid the federal court cases on gay marriage in the last two years. His bill would allow anyone authorized by the state to solemnize marriages — including clergy and justices of the peace — to refuse on religious grounds to preside at same-sex marriages. "The bill reasserts and re-establishes fundamental principles: I have a religious objection. You can't force me or compel me to do it," Anderegg said. He expects a few other exemptions to be proposed in the next legislative session. Eric Hawkins, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would not comment on any plans by the church to seek exceptions. Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative advocacy group, said her organization was still analyzing the impact of the court decision and hadn't yet decided on strategy. But she said, "the priority is to assure religious liberty is protected." She said the public can be moved to support religious exemptions through the cases of wedding cake bakers or photographers who have faced discrimination complaints for refusing to serve same-sex couples. "Our challenge is to get those stories out," Herrod said. But a controversy in Arizona last February over exemptions showed the limits on the public acceptance of broad opt-outs, even in conservative-leaning states. When state lawmakers expanded protections in the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the national backlash from business leaders, gay rights groups and others was so intense that Republican Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the measure. Advocates for the bill said critics massively overreacted. Proponents argued the bill would have given objectors only the chance to bring a religious liberty claim before a court. But critics argued the legislation would have effectively allowed businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians without penalty, especially given that Arizona has no statewide nondiscrimination policy that covers sexual orientation. "There will be a temptation to enact broad exemptions in states that otherwise would oppose same-sex marriage," said John Green, a religion and politics expert at the University of Akron's Bliss Institute for Applied Politics. "However, overly broad exemptions can backfire as well: They can be perceived as intolerant and discriminatory." Also on HuffPost: Close  10 Incredible Improvements For LGBT People Since The First State Legalized Gay Marriage of   * * * Massachusetts Becomes The First Massachusetts became the first state to welcome gay marriages in 2004. Since then, 17 states and Washington, DC have followed their lead and now allow same-sex couples to tie the knot. * Increase In Support Of Marriage Equality Only 37 percent of Americans supported marriage equality for same-sex couples in in 2003. Now, in 2014, 59 percent of individuals support this right. * DOMA The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed in 1996, barring same-sex couples from marrying at the federal level. The Supreme Court struck down the core of this legislation in 2013, ensuring 1,100+ federal protections for gay couples. * Protections For Transgender Minors The American Psychiatric Association announced in December 2012 that identifying as transgender is no longer considered a disorder, 38 years after removing same-sex attraction from its list of disorders. * Obama Supports Marriage Equality President Barack Obama made history in 2012 when he came out in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The decision made him the first American sitting president in history to make such a move. * LGBT Allies In Hollywood Over the past ten years we've seen an explosion of support for the LGBT community in Hollywood, from LGBT celebrities themselves like Lady Gaga and Ellen DeGeneres, to non-queer allies like Brad Pitt and Anne Hathaway. * Serve Openly In The Military President Barack Obama signed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in September 2011, reversing President Bill Clinton's 1993 legislation that barred lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military. Transgender individuals, however, are still not allowed to openly reveal their gender identity while serving. * Opposition: No Longer Relevant Anti-gay organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage and Family Research Council are becoming increasingly silent and slowly losing funding. The Catholic Church has also begun to show a shifting away from anti-gay attacks, particularly with Pope Francis' iconic "Who am I to judge?" proclamation. * Hospital Visitation Rights In 2010, President Obama ordered that hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments must grant patients the right to designate who can visit and consult with them, enabling hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples. * Marriage Equality Court Cases Couples fighting for the right to marry are continuing to legally challenge their right to marry at the state level. There are currently more than 70 active cases in approximately 30 states.  Share  Tweet  ✖ Advertisement Share this ✖ close ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ [ ] Current Slide More: Gay Marriage Gay Marriage Fight Religious Exemptions Gay Marriage Same Sex Marriage Suggest a correction Around the Web [favicon.ico] Gay Marriage and Homosexuality | Pew Research Center's Religion ... [favicon.ico] Gay Marriage Religion - Huffington Post [favicon.ico] Next Gay Marriage Fight: Religious Exemptions [favicon.ico] Increasing number of Mormons support same-sex marriage Suggested For You FOLLOW HUFFPOST * (BUTTON) Email Email Address Email Address_______ Sign me up! Please check the checkbox to indicate your consent Options [X] The Morning Email [X] Politics Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day.. * (BUTTON) Facebook + HuffPost Politics * (BUTTON) Twitter + HuffPost Follow Politics Follow * (BUTTON) Google Plus + HuffPost Politics * (BUTTON) RSS + Most Popular on HuffPost + Latest News + Politics + All RSS / Feeds * (BUTTON) Phone + Available on the App Store + Android App on Google Play + Get it at Blackberry App World IFRAME: http://today.yougov.com/huffingtonpostwidget/live/webpollsmall1.html?topic=politics Search The Huffington Post Enter Search Terms ____________________ Submit Search Go + Advertise + Log In + Make HuffPost your Home Page + RSS + Careers + FAQ + User Agreement + Privacy + Comment Policy + About Us + About Our Ads + Contact Us Copyright ©2015 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Part of HPMG News Use this form to alert a HuffPost editor about a factual or typographical error in this story. Notify message * Required * ____________________ * ____________________ * What kind of error is this? [Choose an option__________] * What is the correction? 0 count Describe the error her ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ * Type the words below so we know you are not a cyborg [ ] Sign me up for The Morning Email Send Thanks for your report!