Tensions in Mississippi communities heightened last week after a bill regarding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in relation to religious freedom was passed.

House Bill 1523, signed by Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, allows private businesses, institutions or individuals to deny members of the LGBT community services on the grounds of protecting their religious freedoms. The bill was signed April 5 and will be effective beginning July 1.

“There’s a fault line in the religious community over how to treat people,” said Christopher Chase, senior lecturer in religious studies. “I think you’re going to see those fault lines sharpen in those communities who have the legal means to kick people out of a business or refuse service.”

Similar bills regarding religious freedom have popped up in Georgia, such as House Bill 757, which was recently vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal. Faith-based businesses and churches would be able to deny their services to members of the LGBT community on the grounds that it would be an “infringement of religious freedoms,” according to the bill. 

For Nicci Port, chair of the LGBTQA+ Faculty and Staff Association, the way these bills will be enforced is a major concern.

“When you go to Mississippi and you’re a baker who won’t bake me a cake, then how are you going to prove that that’s a deeply held religious belief?” Port said. “Are you going to show me a letter from your pastor that you’ve attended church since you were 14?”

Despite the recent rise in religious freedom bills across the country, City Councilwoman Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen said a similar bill would be highly unlikely in Iowa because of the state’s progressive history in regard to civil rights. 

“I would say we are pretty inclusive as a community,” Beatty-Hansen said. “Ames is a pretty diverse city for Iowa. That being said, I think there’s always work to do, especially when you have a group that’s been disadvantaged historically. There’s always more education and outreach we could be doing.” 

Although Iowa’s policies have been historically progressive, Port said that is all the more reason to stay vigilant.

“We can look at our history and say that we were really progressive, but that could lead to us resting on the accomplishments of the past and could leave us open to regression,” Port said. “And that regression could take place as quickly as one election cycle.”

Another piece of legislation, called the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, was approved by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and will force people to use the restrooms based on their sex assigned at birth. 

Backlash for the bills has come in many different forms, such as Bruce Springsteen’s cancellation of a concert in North Carolina, as well as public objections to the Mississippi bill from large employers such as Tyson Foods, Nissan and Toyota.

As for places of worship in Ames, Jordan Adams, Cornerstone Church freshman ministry leader, said conversations about LGBT issues are ones that happen frequently in their church.

“I think that if churches are paying attention, they will absolutely need to be able to discuss [LGBT issues] and be willing to have an open conversation about them,” Adams said. “To be able to clearly identify what that means for people in their day-to-day lives is important and it’s something that so many students are processing.”

But at their core, Chase said he believes bills like these are ultimately unethical.

“There is this fear that they’ll have to treat everyone like a human being,” Chase said. “It’s really the fear of losing a privilege place in society. And because certain communities are worried about losing their place in society, they pass these bills because they currently have the privilege and the means to pass these bills.”