In the aftermath of the Obergefell v. Hodges decision and last week's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling, there has been a hopeful feeling in the air for supporters of LGBT rights. Unfortunately, these monumental leaps forward in civil rights will come at the cost of knotty legal entanglements.
From The Atlantic:
"...The Commission’s recommendations shape rulings on federal employees’ workplace-discrimination claims, and its field offices deal with claims made by employees at private organizations, as well. But the ruling is also a reminder of how complicated—and unresolved—the post-Obergefell legal landscape is. The Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same-sex marriage at the end of June has set the country up for two new waves of discrimination claims: those made by same-sex couples and LGBT workers, and those made by religious Americans who oppose same-sex marriage. The two may seem distinct or even opposed, but they’re actually intertwined: In certain cases, extending new rights to LBGT workers will necessarily lead to religious-freedom objections, and vice versa."
From spousal benefits to adoption to workplace discrimination, the courts will likely see an influx of lawsuits from those who wish to use their religious beliefs to discriminate, as well as suits from LGBT individuals who have been on the receiving end of that discrimination.