Breaking the Conservative Monopoly on Religious Liberty

Abstract

In recent years, conservative legal advocates in the U.S. (and increasingly abroad) have engaged in large-scale—and often successful—efforts to gain religious exemptions from laws advancing reproductive and LGBTQ rights. But conservatives do not hold a monopoly on religion or religious liberty litigation. Religious minorities, progressive Christians, and other faith practitioners have brought a diverse range of religious liberty claims. This article surveys ten such lawsuits and analyzes their key differences with claims brought by social conservatives. It argues that advocates of religious pluralism in America and abroad should devote more resources and attention to progressive religious liberty claims.