LGBTQ movements
LGBT and human rights
LGBT and human rights
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Some people worry that gay rights conflict with individuals' freedom of speech, religious freedoms in the workplace, and the ability to run churches, charitable organizations and other religious organizations that hold opposing social and cultural views to LGBT rights. There is also concern that religious organizations might be forced to accept and perform [same\-sex marriages](/wiki/Same-sex_marriage "Same-sex marriage") or risk losing their tax\-exempt status.

[Freedom of religion](/wiki/Freedom_of_religion "Freedom of religion") may, however, also protect LGBT people. As pointed out at the [United Nations Human Rights Council](/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council "United Nations Human Rights Council") in the 2023 formal report of the [United Nations Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity](/wiki/United_Nations_Independent_Expert_on_sexual_orientation_and_gender_identity "United Nations Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity") on the basis of the explanation in a 2020 article by human rights expert [Dag Øistein Endsjø](/wiki/Dag_%C3%98istein_Endsj%C3%B8 "Dag Øistein Endsjø"), adherents of denominations and belief systems who embrace LGBT\-equality "can claim that anti\-LGBT manifestations of religion (such as criminalization and discrimination) not only impinge upon the right of LGBT people to be free from violence and discrimination based on SOGI \[sexual orientation and gender identity], but also violate the \[pro\-LGBT] denominations' own rights of freedom of religion". As pointed out in this article, freedom of religion also generally protects LGBT people against religious oppression, as freedom of religion also protects the “freedom ... not to hold religious beliefs and ... not to practise a religion”.[United Nations Human Rights Council](/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Rights_Council "United Nations Human Rights Council") *[Freedom of religion or belief, and freedom from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity: Report of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity](https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5337-report-independent-expert-protection-against-violence-and|A/HRC/53/37)*, 7 June 2023, § 162; [Dag Øistein Endsjø](/wiki/Dag_%C3%98istein_Endsj%C3%B8 "Dag Øistein Endsjø") “[The other way around? How freedom of religion may protect LGBT rights](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13642987.2020.1763961)”, *The International Journal of Human Rights* 24:10 (2020\), pp. 1686\-88; Buscarini and Others v. San Marino (1999\), 24645/94, European Court of Human Rights, § 34; cf. United Nation Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 22, 1993, 2\. As the [United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief](/wiki/United_Nations_Special_Rapporteur_on_Freedom_of_Religion_or_Belief "United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief") noted in 2017, “in certain States where religion has been given ‘official’ or privileged status, other fundamental rights of individuals – especially women, religious minorities and members of the LGBTI community – are disproportionately restricted or vitiated under threat of sanctions as a result of obligatory observation of State\-imposed religious orthodoxy.”United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, *Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief*, A/HRC/34/50, 17 January 2017, § 45\.


From where does the concern that gay rights conflict with individuals' freedom of speech originate?