Panels

These panels are constantly developing -- keep checking back for updates!

Friday Evening

Welcome speech – Friday, March 4, 5:00 p.m.

The Stakes of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate – Friday, March 4, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

A discussion of what marriage is for, and why we've built up a legal framework for it in the first place. The panel will discuss how the shifting marital terrain has sown the seeds of the same sex marriage debate, in the context of recent changes in cultural norms related to traditional marriage, and in conjunction with the political background of the "culture war" between conservative and liberal movements. How does either demonizing or valorizing same sex marriage intersect with larger socio-cultural agendas? How central is queer marriage to a range of different ideological agendas?

Panelists
• Matt Coles
• Ariela Dubler
• William Eskridge
• Leslie Moran
• Katherine Franke
• Kenji Yoshino
• Moderated by Ed Stein

Saturday Morning Panels

The Political Spectrum of Same-sex Marriage – Saturday, March 5 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The panel will discuss the current and historical political framework surrounding the debate on same-sex marriage. It will trace the evolution of the issue in its current form and assess its political valence today. In whose name and with what image arsenal is same-sex marriage being demonized/valorized? To what extent is winning this battle a central piece of contemporary LGBTQ civil rights strategy? What will it mean if we win, or if we lose?

Panelists
• Michael Bronski
• Nancy Cott
• Nan Hunter
• Morris Kaplan
• Robert Post
• Reva Siegel
• Moderated by William Eskridge

International Forms of Same-sex Marriage – Saturday, March 5, 10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

The panel will discuss how other countries have addressed same-sex marriage and family structures, what lessons can be drawn from them, how we might apply them to making policy, and their potential import for litigation in the United States. Further, the panel will discuss emerging issues related to immigration and binational couples seeking recognition of same-sex marriages obtained elsewhere.

Panelists
• Lee Badgett
• Daniel Borrillo
• Joanna Radbord
• Darren Spedale
• Moderated by Leslie Moran

Saturday Afternoon Panels

Discrimination and Marriage – Saturday, March 5, 2:00 p.m. - 4 p.m.

The panel will discuss how the issues at the core of sexual orientation discrimination, in the context of same-sex marriage, have been traced to historical debates in the fight against gender and race discrimination. How relevant are the connections that have been posited by various proponents? If we assume those connections exist, what influence should they have in shaping the same-sex marriage debate? The panel will also examine the role of gender in the construction and maintenance of traditional forms of marriage and how varying forms of same-sex marriage structures affect the production of gender roles and identities.

Panelists
• Chai Feldblum
• Kate Kendell
• Mari Matsuda
• Serena Mayeri
• Moderated by Reva Siegel

Federalism and the Same-Sex Marriage Question – Saturday, March 5, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where should the same sex marriage issue be decided, at the federal or state levels? What implications would either answer have with respect to states’ rights and civil liberties? How do we explain the recent "federalization" of the marriage issue in the context of the same sex marriage debate (e.g. The proposed FMA, federal DOMA, etc.). How should we read the state DOMAs and recent constitutional amendments in light of the full faith and credit clause and other sources of the law of federalism? Are there any opportunities for permitting both federal and state governments to regulate marriage, and if so, what are the implications of such an approach?

Panelists
• Praveen Fernandes
• Andrew Koppelman
• Ed Stein
• Lynn Wardle
• Moderated by Robert Post

Keynote Speech by Jon Davidson – Saturday, March 5, 4:30 PM