(CNN) It's the season of so-called religious freedom bills: statewide proposals that, depending on the point of view, ensure that individuals and businesses may operate in keeping with their faith or fling the door open to discrimination in the name of religion.

In Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill this week that protects businesses and religious groups from punishment if they deny services such as counseling, wedding planning and adoption support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people when it's based on "sincerely held religious beliefs or convictions."

Watchdog groups decry the bill as discriminatory. Proponents call it a protection of First Amendment rights.

In Georgia last month, HB 757 gave faith-based organizations the option to deny services to gays and lesbians. Opponents immediately labeled it "anti-LGBT."

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal cited Jesus' ministry to outcasts in signaling his intention to veto the bill. Late last month, he did

How did LGBT rights and religious freedom end up on a collision course?

Supreme Court allows same-sex marriage

On a summer day last year, a divided U.S. Supreme Court released a landmark opinion giving same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights advocates a historic victory.

JUST WATCHED The SCOTUS opinions on same-sex marriage Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The SCOTUS opinions on same-sex marriage 02:16

Justice Anthony Kennedy voted along with the court's four liberal justices and wrote the majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges. Each of the four conservative justices in the minority wrote his own dissent.

On June 26, nearly 46 years to the day after a riot at New York's Stonewall Inn ushered in the modern gay rights movement, the high court decision sought to settle one of the major civil rights fights of this era. Kennedy's opinion spoke of family, love and liberty.

"Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions," Kennedy said. "They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

In his dissent, the late Justice Antonin Scalia blasted the decision's "threat to American democracy."

Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Carlos McKnight of Washington waves a flag in support of same-sex marriage outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2015. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states cannot ban same-sex marriage, handing gay rights advocates their biggest victory yet. See photos from states that approved same-sex marriage before the nationwide ruling: Hide Caption 1 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Shante Wolfe, left, and Tori Sisson become the first same-sex couple to file their marriage license in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 9, 2015. However, seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing such nuptials nationwide, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore directed probate judges in his state to enforce the ban on same-sex marriage. Gay rights organizations swiftly denounced Moore's January 6, 2016, order. Hide Caption 2 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Newlyweds Jeff Delmay and Todd Delmay hug during a marriage ceremony in a Miami courtroom January 5, 2015. Florida began allowing same-sex marriages after a federal judge struck down the state's ban. Hide Caption 3 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Chad Biggs, left, and Chris Creech say their wedding vows at the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 10, 2014, after a federal judge ruled that same-sex marriage can begin in the state. Hide Caption 4 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Joshua Gunter, right, and Bryan Shields attend a Las Vegas rally to celebrate an appeals court ruling that overturned Nevada's same-sex marriage ban on October 7, 2014. Hide Caption 5 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. From left, plaintiffs Moudi Sbeity; his partner, Derek Kitchen; Kody Partridge; and Partridge's wife, Laurie Wood, celebrate after a news conference in Salt Lake City on October 6, 2014. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in Utah when it declined to hear the state's appeal of a lower court ruling. Hide Caption 6 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Abbi Huber, left, and Talia Frolkis exit the City County Building in Madison, Wisconsin, after applying for a marriage license on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 7 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rob MacPherson, right, and his husband, Steven Stolen, hug during a news conference at the American Civil Liberties Union in Indianapolis on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 8 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Mary Bishop, second from left, and Sharon Baldwin, right, celebrate with family and friends following their wedding ceremony on the courthouse steps in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Melsop, left, and Erika Turner kiss after they were married in front of the Arlington County Courthouse in Arlington, Virginia, on October 6, 2014. Hide Caption 10 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Pastor Carol Hill from Epworth United Methodist Church speaks during a marriage-equality ceremony at the Kathy Osterman Beach in Chicago on June 1, 2014. The date marked the first day that all of Illinois' 102 counties could begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Hide Caption 11 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. William Roletter, left, and Paul Rowe get close after having their photo taken with their marriage certificate May 21, 2014, at Philadelphia City Hall. Hide Caption 12 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Julie Engbloom, left, and Laurie Brown embrace after marrying in Portland, Oregon, on May 19, 2014. A federal judge struck down the state's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 13 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jennifer Rambo, right, kisses her Kristin Seaton after their marriage ceremony in front of the Carroll County Courthouse in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, on May 10, 2014. Rambo and Seaton were the first same-sex couple to be granted a marriage license in Eureka Springs after a judge overturned Amendment 83, which banned same-sex marriage in Arkansas. Hide Caption 14 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Same-sex couples get their marriage licenses at the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac, Michigan, on March 22, 2014, a day after a federal judge overturned Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. Hide Caption 15 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On November 13, 2013, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, left, and former state Sen. Avery Chumbley celebrate with a copy of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after Abercrombie signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. Hide Caption 16 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis, left, and Stephen Justesen acknowledge the crowd after being married in Salt Lake City in December 20, 2013. Hide Caption 17 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Plaintiffs Laurie Wood, left, and Kody Partridge, center, walk with attorney Peggy Tomsic on December 4, 2013, after a judge heard arguments challenging Utah's same-sex marriage ban. Hide Caption 18 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On October 21, 2013, Cory Booker, right, officiates a wedding ceremony for Joseph Panessidi, center, and Orville Bell at the Newark, New Jersey, City Hall. The New Jersey Supreme Court denied the state's request to prevent same-sex marriages temporarily, clearing the way for same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 19 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. A couple celebrates at San Francisco City Hall upon hearing about the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage on June 26, 2013. The high court cleared the way for same-sex couples in California to resume marrying after dismissing an appeal on Proposition 8 on jurisdictional grounds. The court also struck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Hide Caption 20 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. At the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton signs a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on May 14, 2013. Hide Caption 21 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell holds up legislation on May 7, 2013, allowing same-sex couples to wed in the state. Hide Caption 22 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Rhode Island state Sen. Donna Nesselbush, right, embraces a supporter after the Marriage Equality Act was signed into law at the statehouse in Providence on May 2, 2013. Hide Caption 23 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Jamous Lizotte, right, and Steven Jones pose for photos while waiting for a marriage license in Portland, Maine, on December 29, 2012. Hide Caption 24 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On March 1, 2012, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November 2012 referendum. Hide Caption 25 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On February 13, 2012, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage-equality legislation into law. Voters there approved same-sex marriage in November 2012, defeating a challenge by opponents. Hide Caption 26 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Phyllis Siegel, right, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office on July 24, 2011, the first day New York's Marriage Equality Act went into effect. Hide Caption 27 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. On August 21, 2010, TV reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. Same-sex marriage became legal in Washington in March 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Olin Burkhart, left, and Carl Burkhart kiss on the steps of the New Hampshire Capitol on January 1, 2010, after the state's law allowing same-sex marriage went into effect. Hide Caption 29 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. In May 2009, Maine state Sen. Dennis Damon, left, hands Gov. John Baldacci the bill that the state Senate passed to affirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. Hide Caption 30 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife, Jennifer, exchange vows in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there with an April 3, 2009, court ruling. Hide Caption 31 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriage became legal in Connecticut on November 12, 2008. Hide Caption 32 of 33 Photos: Same-sex marriage in the U.S. Lara Ramsey, left, and Jane Lohmann play with their 7-month-old son, Wyatt Ramsey-Lohmann. The two wed in 2004 after Massachusetts approved same-sex marriage. Massachusetts was the first state to do so. Hide Caption 33 of 33

"Rise of LGBT rights in general, and especially the court's same-sex marriage decision, are the only explanation for their resurgence in political salience," he said, referring to religious freedom laws.

Religious institutions encounter real difficulties

Religious freedom bills have actually been growing since the U.S. Religious Freedom Restoration Act became law in 1993, which was designed to prohibit the federal government from "substantially burdening" a person's exercise of religion.

The law passed with the backing of a broad-based coalition, but it wasn't set against the more recent backdrop of gay rights or the wave of marriage equality laws and court rulings that culminated in the Obergefell decision.

Tim Holbrook, a professor of law at Emory University School of Law, wrote a CNN opinion piece last year following the landmark decision, saying same-sex marriages have created difficulties for religious institutions.

"As Chief Justice John Roberts asked: Will religious institutions that provide married student housing be forced to allow same-sex married couples into such housing, even if their faith finds same-sex relationships to conflict with their beliefs?" wrote Holbrook, an LGBT commentator.

"Can a religious employer refuse to hire, or even fire, someone who is in a same-sex marriage? These interstitial areas will have to be addressed," Holbrook wrote.

Douglas Laycock, a constitutional scholar at the University of Virginia Law School who helped win passage of Religious Freedom Restoration Act, said state RFRAs have been underenforced.

"But they have done some good in cases that do not involve culture war issues and that the press has mostly not covered," he said.

Some examples: cases involving Orthodox Jewish prisoners wanting kosher meals and churches barred from feeding the homeless.

Laycock added, "We tell our children we provide liberty and justice 'for all.' What we need to implement that promise are strong gay-rights laws, with strong religious exemptions for religious organizations and for individuals and very small businesses in religious contexts."

Clash manifests in real life

Real-world examples added fuel to the debate.

In September, a county clerk in Kentucky spent six days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Rowan County clerk Kim Davis refused to give licenses to same-sex couples despite the Supreme Court's decision in June that legalized same-sex marriage across the country. She claimed that doing so would violate her Christian convictions against same-sex marriage.

JUST WATCHED Kim Davis and the fight over same-sex marriage Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Kim Davis and the fight over same-sex marriage 01:12

U.S. courts consistently ruled against Davis, but she become an icon to those championing religious exemption.

In August, an appellate court ruled against a Colorado bakery owner who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The court rejected the owner's assertion that the refusal was based on religious opposition to same-sex marriage, not because of the couple's sexual orientation.

In July, the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby allowed some family-owned or other closely held businesses to opt out of a federal requirement to pay for contraceptives in health coverage for their workers.

Owners of Hobby Lobby and another company argued the mandate in President Barack Obama's health care reforms forced them to violate deeply held religious principles because they believe the specific contraceptives they objected to amount to abortion. The high court agreed.

"There is no political support for respecting the liberty of both sides," Laycock said.

"The Republicans don't want gay-rights laws. ... And the Democrats don't want religious exemptions. The earlier generation of gay-rights laws all have exemptions for churches and religious nonprofits, but it appears that gay-rights groups are no longer willing to agree to such exemptions."

States respond to local LGBT protections

In November, Houston voters rejected the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a 2014 measure intended for protecting LGBT rights.

The ballot issue drew national attention, with conservative opponents claiming the law would allow troubled men to go into women's restrooms and locker rooms.

The campaign to undo HERO became a focal point for the right, which spent millions and recruited an assortment of local celebrities to their cause, including former Houston Astros star outfielder Lance Berkman.

Critics say the Houston referendum and an accompanying wave of so-called bathroom bills discriminate against transgender people. Corporations voiced their opposition and even threatened to use their economic muscle to block them.

Last month, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law a measure that blocked cities from allowing transgender people to use public bathrooms designated for the sex as which they identify. House Bill 2 (the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act) was passed on the heels of a Charlotte city ordinance allowing transgender people to use the bathrooms of their choice.

The law reserves to the state the right to pass nondiscrimination legislation, saying state laws supersede local ordinances.

In response, PayPal announced that it had canceled plans to open a new global operations center in Charlotte, costing the state's largest city 400 jobs.

States proceed despite backlash

The cycle of action and reaction has become familiar, if not entirely predictable: Social conservatives lament instances where business owners find themselves in hot water for controversial statements or actions; targeted measures are enacted; social liberals denounce the measures; business interests become involved.

A year ago, Indiana's legislature passed a law intended to protect Christian businesses that did not want to provide services to gays and lesbians -- particularly for same-sex weddings. But a week later -- driven by businesses' concerns over discrimination -- the law was amended so that it could not be used to override current and future civil rights protections, including local anti-discrimination ordinances.

Since 1993, 21 states have enacted religious freedom laws and amendments modeled after the RFRA, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ten other states are considering similar legislation, according to the conference.

Laycock said 11 states have interpreted their constitutions to include RFRA-like protection.

"I suspect the legislators who support these laws are just currying favor with the religious right wing," said Lupu, the GWU constitutional law expert. "They'll get political credit for the support, and any governor who vetoes will get the blame from the religious right."

Laycock called the threat of boycotts "ill-informed and deeply intolerant of religious minorities."

"But they are real, and they have intimidated some governors and some legislatures," he said.

"In places where these bills have passed ... I think we have to assume [there are] deep-red Republicans who don't care what anyone else thinks, or who even delight in flouting elite opinion."

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described an amendment to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The law was amended so that it could not be used to override current and future civil rights protections, including local anti-discrimination ordinances.