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Religious Exemptions

Targeted exemptions provide a blanket exemption, or license to discriminate, to anyone operating in a specific area, such as child welfare services. The person or organization does not need to seek out this exemption as with RFRAs; it is a blanket license to discriminate. This map shows targeted exemptions for child welfare service providers, which permit child-placing agencies to refuse to place and provide services to children and families, including LGBTQ people and others, if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs.
United States Map
Washington New York U.S. Virgin Islands Puerto Rico Guam Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands American Samoa New Hampshire Vermont Virginia Pennsylvania New York Maine West Virginia Ohio Kentucky Indiana Michigan Illinois Wisconsin North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Georgia Florida Mississippi Missouri Arkansas Louisiana Iowa Minnesota Oklahoma Kansas Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Texas 33 Colorado Wyoming Montana Idaho Arizona Utah Nevada Oregon California Hawaii Alaska Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey Delaware Maryland Washington D.C. New Hampshire Vermont
  • State has targeted religious exemption that 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 (11 states)
  • State has targeted religious exemption that permits state-licensed child welfare agencies to refuse to place and provide services to LGBTQ children and families, but only if the agency does not receive state funding (3 states)
  • State has no religious exemption law related to child welfare services (36 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

Citations & More Information
Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. [Year of access]. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/religious_exemptions. Data as of [day of access].

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*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.

20%

20 % 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

6%

6 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that permit state-licensed child welfare agencies to refuse to place and provide services to LGBTQ children and families, but only if the agency does not receive state funding

74%

74 % of the LGBTQ population lives in states that have no religious exemption law related to child welfare services

Targeted exemptions provide a blanket exemption, or license to discriminate, to anyone operating in a specific area, such as medical services and health care. The person or organization does not need to seek out this exemption as with RFRAs; it is a blanket license to discriminate. This map shows targeted exemptions for medical providers, which permit medical providers to refuse to serve LGBTQ people and others, if doing so conflicts with the provider’s (or provider’s employer’s) religious beliefs.
United States Map
  • State has targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients (10 states)
  • State does not have targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients (40 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

Citations & More Information
Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. [Year of access]. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/religious_exemptions. Data as of [day of access].

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*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.

21%

21 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients

79%

79 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that do not have targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients

Targeted exemptions provide a blanket exemption, or license to discriminate, to anyone operating in a specific area, such as the provision of marriage-related services. The person or organization does not need to seek out this exemption as with RFRAs; it is a blanket license to discriminate. This map shows two types of targeted, marriage-related exemptions. The first type allows private businesses to deny marriage-related services (such as photography, floral, web design or other services) to LGBTQ people and others, if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs. The second type applies to public officials and permits state and local government employees and officials to decline to issue marriage licenses or marry couples of whose marriage they disapprove, despite it being part of the job description to provide these marriage services.
United States Map
  • State has targeted religious exemption that permits private businesses to deny marriage-related services to LGBTQ people (3 states)
  • State has targeted religious exemption law that permits state and local officials to decline to marry couples of whose marriage they disapprove (4 states)
  • State has no religious exemption law related to private marriage services or public officials issuing marriage licenses (45 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

Citations & More Information
Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. [Year of access]. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/religious_exemptions. Data as of [day of access].

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*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.

3%

3 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have targeted religious exemption that permits private businesses to deny marriage-related services to LGBTQ people

6%

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

93%

93 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have no religious exemption law related to private marriage services or public officials issuing marriage licenses

Broad state religious exemption laws, sometimes called “Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” or RFRAs, permit people, churches, non-profit organizations, and sometimes corporations to seek exemptions from state laws that they say burden their religious beliefs. The individual person or organization must seek out an exemption, such as through court proceedings.
United States Map
  • State has broad "RFRA" religious exemption law through constitutional amendment (1 state)
  • State has broad "RFRA" religious exemption law through legislation/statute (28 states)
  • State does not have broad "RFRA" religious exemption law (21 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

Citations & More Information
Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. [Year of access]. "Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-maps/religious_exemptions. Data as of [day of access].

Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*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%

1 % of LGBTQ population lives in states with constitutional religious exemption laws

47%

47 % of LGBTQ population lives in states with statutory religious exemption laws

52%

52 % of LGBTQ population lives in states that have no broad religious exemption law

Key
  • State does not have this lawIndicates an anti-LGBTQ Law
State Targeted Adoption/Child Services Denial Targeted Medical Professionals Denial Targeted Marriage Services Denial Targeted Marriage License Denial Broad Religious Exemption
  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 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 State does not have this law
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 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 State does not have this law


Data current as of 06/08/2025
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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

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 Policy Tally

“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.

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