Some believe that the religious right’s roots begin with Roe v. Wade. But there was an earlier court decision about the rights of segregated schools that first mobilized them.

The recent surge in anti-trans legislation nationwide sparked a conversation on our show, about how the religious right has worked to deny the rights and existence of LGBT people for decades. This movement dates back to the early 1970s; to trace its history, producer Jessica Miller visits Mississippi and follows the bitter fight against a religious freedom bill passed in 2017 called HB 1523. The bill states that people who don’t believe in LGBT rights can’t be forced to abide by new civil rights protections. A group of civil rights advocates sued the state in response, and the ensuing debate revealed the real history behind all of the religious right's arguments today.

This episode was originally published as ‘In Jesus' Name... We Legislate’ on June 13, 2017. Listen to more episodes here.

Companion listening for this episode:

Church, State and the Soul of Our Nation (10/10/2022)

Christian nationalism – the push to have laws, policies and social norms reflect Christian values – is a growing movement in the U.S. As its rise continues to influence contemporary politics, how should we consider and prepare for its impact on our government?

“Notes from America” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on notesfromamerica.org or on WNYC’s YouTube channel.

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Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

The Truth Behind the Religious Right

Notes from America with Kai Wright