Past Event

Café Society: Gay Marriage--The Debate within the Left

Last year, the California Supreme Court ordered the city of San Francisco to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples, but the fight over this issue rages on. In its most recent development, last week, Judge Richard A. Kramer of the San Francisco Superior Court ruled that the ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

Most of the coverage on this issue has focused on arguments against legitimizing gay marriage from a conservative perspective and justifications for from a liberal viewpoint. However, there are deep divides that separate the left on this issue.

The economic, social and political consequences of legitimizing gay marriage are seen by many as, at best, furthering the assimilation of queer communities into mainstream society. At worst, many worry that acceptance of gay marriage without stipulations addressing many of the inherent problems with marriage in the United States in general, will only end up further victimizing the very people that the movement purports to protect.

Though the current debate has been framed by the media as a conflict between the accepted views of the left and the right, in truth, the left is deeply divided on the issue. Join us for a Café Society discussion on the debate within the left on the issues surrounding gay marriage.

Join us this week at Cafe Society to discuss the debate within the left.

This weeks articles:

For more informaiton, please contact Kristin Millikan at 312.422.5580.