Medical Providers Religious Exemptions

Targeted exemptions provide a blanket exemption, or license to discriminate, to anyone operating in a specific area, such as medical services and health care. The person or organization does not need to seek out this exemption as with RFRAs; it is a blanket license to discriminate. This map shows targeted exemptions for medical providers, which permit medical providers to refuse to serve LGBTQ people and others, if doing so conflicts with the provider’s (or provider’s employer’s) religious beliefs.

State has targeted religious exemption that permits medical professionals to decline to serve LGBTQ clients
(12 states)
State does not have targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients
(38 states + 5 territories + D.C.)

Recommended citation: 
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Religious Exemption Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-map/religious-exemptions/#medical-providers. Data as of June 12, 2026.

Percent of LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws

*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ population (ages 13+) living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population data are from UCLA’s The Williams Institute.

23%
23% of LGBTQ people (ages 13+) live in states that have targeted religious exemption that permits medical professionals to decline to serve LGBTQ clients
77%
77% of LGBTQ people (ages 13+) live in states that do not have targeted religious exemption that permits medical providers to decline to serve LGBTQ clients