On Monday, September 19th from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saint Mary's will host A Constitutional Symposium: Religious Liberty & LGBTQ+ Rights. The event will take place in the Soda Center (Claeys Lounge) and is free and open to the public.

This symposium is held in recognition of national Constitution Day. Many states have laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Yet many states also provide exemptions to religious entities that allow them to withhold certain services and benefits from LGBTQ+ persons. Supporters of such exemptions and advocates of LGBTQ+ rights each rely on constitutional values that are foundational to the American experience: freedom of religious expression on the one hand and equal protection under the law on the other.

Our pluralistic society relies on open dialogue and tolerance of divergent beliefs. Accordingly, three respected Constitutional experts will discuss the perceived tension between these constitutional rights:     

• Robin Fretwell Wilson, Director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs for the University of Illinois

• Kyle Velte, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Kansas School of Law

• Elizabeth Clark, Professor and Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University

Members of the audience will have the opportunity to submit questions for the speakers to address. Free copies of the Constitution will be distributed. Those who prefer to attend remotely can register here.

Watch The Symposium: (1) SMC Constitution Day Symposium: Religious Freedom and Equality for LGBTQ Persons - YouTube

Tolerance Means Dialogue: "Religious Liberty & the Culture War Over LGBT Rights: Can University Students Make a Difference?"

Location: Room 544, ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; 111 E. Taylor Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Music Building on the Tempe Campus by Wars, is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Location: Wolf Law Building Room 480

Location: Idaho State Capitol, Lincoln Room
700 West Jefferson St.
Boise, ID 83702

Wengerovsky Center at Bar-Ilan University by Bar-Ilan University, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

טיילת המצוק באיזור המרכזי של נתניה. ברקע מלון כרמל ובאוויר - מצנחי רחיפה by ארכיון עיריית נתניה, is licensed under CC BY 2.5

Panel 8: Religion, Culture, Custom and Children’s Interests: When does faith imperil children - reflections on the US’ Family law isolationism

Panorama of Tel Aviv by RaphaelQS, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Rethinking Informed Consent in Medical Education—the work on teaching intimate exams which may also be helpful.

Emory School of Medicine HDR by Sinan - Flickr, is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Discussing Religious Freedom, LGBT Rights, and the Prospects for Common Ground

Tolerance Means Dialogue: “Religious Liberty or Unjust Discrimination: Is peaceful coexistence possible in the culture wars?”

Featuring:
Dialogue Catalysts:  Robin Fretwell Wilson of the University of Illinois, John Corvino of Wayne State University, and student winners of the Tolerance Scholarship.

Moderated by Christopher Lund, Professor of Law at Wayne State University.

Winners of Tolerance Scholarship
Robin Wilson, University of Illinois — Urbana-Champaign
John Corvino, Wayne State University—Detroit
Christopher Lund, Wane State University—Detroit

Aerial View of Downtown Detroit and Renaissance Center by Robert Thompson, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Central House Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile by Sfs90, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Panelist, discussing the intersection of religious and LGBTQ identities.