Marriage Equality and Beyond

PITTSBURGH—This summer’s historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges made the institution of marriage a fundamental right for all Americans. The verdict was the culmination of decades of legal challenges and social advocacy from the nation’s gay community as well as their supporters. The University of Pittsburgh will present an armchair discussion featuring the experiences and opinions of two longtime advocates for same-sex marriage and equal rights for LGBT Americans.

The discussion, titled “Marriage Equality and Beyond,” will focus on the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, the history of the marriage-equality movement, and the challenges that lie ahead for the nation’s LGBT community. The event will begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 17 within the Teplitz Memorial Moot Courtroom of Pitt’s Barco Law Building, 3900 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

The panel will feature gay-rights attorney Evan Wolfson, founder and president of the marriage-equality campaign Freedom to Marry, as well as Pitt legal scholar Anthony C. Infanti, senior associate dean for administration and special projects and a professor in Pitt’s School of Law. The event will be moderated by William M. Carter Jr., dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and closing remarks will be delivered by Rep. Dan B. Frankel.

Wolfson is widely regarded as the architect of the national marriage-equality movement, having contributed his legal expertise to efforts towards the legalization of same-sex marriage for more than 30 years. He played prominent roles in nationally significant court cases, including the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health in 2003, which led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in that state. In 2004, TIME named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and The National Law Journal named him one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America. Wolfson is the author of the book Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Infanti is the author of Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians and Those Who Care About Them (Paradign Publishers, 2007). The book examined legal issues facing gay, lesbian, and transgendered Americans, focusing a chapter specifically on same-sex marriage. His research focuses on areas of critical tax theory—the impact that the tax system has on traditionally subordinated groups within American society. His legal expertise particularly centers on the application of American tax law on the LGBT community. Infanti’s opinions on same-sex marriage and other gay-rights issues have been featured in such notable publications as The New York Times, Politico, and The Huffington Post.

Frankel is a longtime advocate of equal rights for the LGBT community, sponsoring legislation towards ensuring equal access to employment, housing, and public accommodations. He is the lead sponsor of the Pennsylvania Fairness Act, which would update the Commonwealth’s nondiscrimination policies to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Frankel has served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving District 23 in Allegheny County, since 1999.

The discussion commemorates Constitution Day, an annual federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. The event is sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program as well as the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the student gay-rights legal organization OutLaw.

The discussion is free and open to the public. The event has been approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for one hour of substantive credit. For more information, call 412-648-1418.

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