Faith in Values: Religious Liberty + Marriage Equality = Harmony, Not Dissension

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http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/religion/news/2013/08/07/71610/religious-liberty-marriage-equality-harmony-not-dissension/


SOURCE: Bret Hartman/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign
In this image released on Thursday, June 27, 2013, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin speaks during a rally in West Hollywood, California, celebrating the historic rulings from the Supreme Court that Prop 8 is unconstitutional.

By Sally Steenland | August 7, 2013

Sometimes the way an issue is framed matters as much as the facts. Take the so-called battle between marriage equality and religious liberty. Many activists against marriage equality claim that the two are inherently opposed to each other. According to their argument, if one side wins, the other loses.

The problem with this oppositional framing is that it isn’t true. In reality, marriage equality and religious liberty can support and strengthen each other. And this is true even when people are conflicted about same-sex marriage. Even then, they still believe that gay and lesbian couples should be treated fairly under the law.

Last week Third Way and the Human Rights Campaign released a national poll that validates these views. According to the poll, a majority of Americans support marriage equality and religious liberty, rather than believing that one threatens the other.

The poll also shows that a majority of Americans support nondiscrimination laws regarding gay and lesbian people and are opposed to any new laws that would deny them services. As for religious exemptions, a majority of Americans believe they should be limited to houses of worship and clergy.

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