The fundamental right to be treated equally under the law depends on the separation of church and state. This foundational American principle is essential to ensuring that transgender people can live and identify as who they are. They should be free to be themselves without discrimination at their jobs, in their schools, when accessing health care, and in public places.
But religious extremists and their lawmaker allies are attempting to misuse religious freedom to deny the rights – and sometimes the very existence – of trangender, nonbinary, and gender-fluid people. Religious exemptions are being used to undermine their access to health care, social services, businesses, workplace protections, public education, and more. We cannot allow religion to be used to create more obstacles for a community that is already marginalized.