Freedom of Conscience and New LGBT Rights in International Human Rights Law: This position essay argues, “Only when human rights are grounded in transcendent, fixed authority can they stand the test of time and shifts in power. If LGBT policies are elevated above freedom of conscience, it will be to the detriment of all human rights. Our consciences are the basis of our dignity upon which we can claim to have universal and inalienable rights that are not derived from the State.” Students can consider the nature of rights, human dignity, the role of the state, and how culture re-defines these terms at different times in history.
