Fairness for All: An Answer to the Special Rapporteur’s Call for a Practical Resolution between Freedom of Religion or Belief and LGBT+ Non-discrimination

 

 

 

 

Robin Fretwell Wilson is Director, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois System & Roger and Stephany Joslin Professor of Law, University of Illinois College of Law

Tanner Bean is an Attorney with the law firm Fabian VanCott in Salt Lake City, Utah

U.N. Special Rapporteur, Ahmed Shaheed’s, report on freedom of religion or belief (“FoRB”) and gender equality (the “Report”) comes at an important moment in our collective existence. Many of us in many countries are struggling with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, fearing the impact on our families and communities. Yet, in the midst of this crisis, churches and people of faith continue to serve, albeit in altered and unique ways. In uncertain times like these, churches often rush to fill dire needs and remind us that we all need each other. (more…)

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Is Religious Autonomy a Threat to Gender Equality?


Montserrat Gas-Aixendri is Full Professor of Law and Religion at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain) 

 

In a 2013 Report, the UN Special Rapporteur acknowledged that freedom of religion or belief and gender equality sometimes seem to be in an artificial antagonism. In fact, synergies between the freedom of religion or belief and promoting gender equality remain systematically underexplored, discouraged, or delegitimized (para. 32-33, 42). Though the 2020 Report on religious freedom and gender equality rightly condemns violence and discrimination against women, girls, and LGBT+ persons based on the pretence of religious freedom, I must confess that I expected this report to have the courage to take on the challenge of finding synergies between the freedom of religion or belief and promoting gender equality. However, in many ways my expectations are left unmet. In the following paragraphs, I will try to comment on how the report addresses the issue of autonomy of religious institutions in the context of gender equality and why some of its points should be criticized. (more…)

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COVID-19 and Human Dignity

 

This Conversation was developed from contributions to an international Webinar held 16 April 2020: Freedom of Religion or Belief, COVID-19 and Human Dignity , Episode 2 of the Webinar Series COVID-19 and Freedom of Religion or Belief. Panelists in this Webinar addressed the following and other questions: How is this global emergency affecting our concept of human dignity? How can we ensure that restrictions to civil liberties that we accept for our collective safety respect human dignity and human rights? (more…)

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