Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Latest Scholarly Developments

11/14/09 Mirror of Justice, by law professor Tom Berg:

This past Thursday saw a fine conference at Northwestern Law School on the topic, and I gave the "keynote" talk, on "What Same-Sex Marriage and Religious-Liberty Claims Have in Common." I personally have come to find the case for legislative recognition of same-sex marriage to be strong (a position that should in no way be imputed to the co-authors of our letters advocating strong religious exemptions). But my conclusion on the underlying question in no way lessens my commitment to strong accommodations for religious objectors, both organizations and individuals. Indeed, the gravamen of my NU talk was that the very arguments that support recognition of SSM also strongly support accommodation of religious objectors unless they are in a position substantially to block access to marriage. I'll post the full piece when it's written, but here's a summary ...

11/14/09 Mirror of Justice, by law professor Tom Berg:

Readers in and around Des Moines, IA, might be interested in a debate between Georgetown Law prof Nan Hunter and me, this Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Drake Law School. The topic is "Religious Liberty Exemptions and Iowa's Same-Sex Marriage Decision." [The debate appears not to have received a webcast.]

Shannon Gilreath, Not a Moral Issue: Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty, [book review of Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty: Emerging Conflicts], Wake Forest University Research Paper Series in Legal Studies, Working Paper No. 1504170, posted 11/11/09 at Social Science Research Network