This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the U.S. played a lead role in drafting. Some human rights scholars and advocates argue that the U.S. has operated under a double standard in that it has promoted a set of universal human rights standards abroad that it has proved less willing to apply at home, citing U.S. policy on the use of torture as a prominent example. This panel focused on what can be done to ensure that the U.S. fulfills its international human rights obligations.

Panelists included:

The panel reviewed the state of the law on protecting against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Such laws typically exempt small employers and entities with religious missions but some still claim that religious liberty is being restricted. Some argue that secular companies must accommodate workers asserting religious freedom claims even when this would otherwise violate anti-discrimination laws. On campuses, religious freedom claims are also being vigorously pursued in lawsuits and other challenges. How do we address both religious liberty and discrimination in various contexts?