Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates Constitutionality of Same Sex Marriage at National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on June 2

In late June, according to the best estimates, the Supreme Court will deliver its highly anticipated ruling on same-sex marriage. Can't wait? On Tuesday, June 2nd, live in Philadelphia and streaming online, Intelligence Squared U.S. and the National Constitution Center will present the latest in an ongoing series of constitutional debates. The motion is one of Intelligence Squared U.S.'s most timely and provocative to date: "The Equal Protection Clause Does Not Require States to License Same-Sex Marriages."

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides: "No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." But marriage between one man and one woman has existed for millennia, and until recently, States always adhered to the traditional definition. Does that violate the Constitution?

As a special bonus, before the debate the National Constitution Center invites all ticket buyers to preview the new exhibit "Speaking Out For Equality: The Constitution, Gay Rights, and the Supreme Court" three days before it opens to the public. The exhibit chronicles the gay rights movement in the courts and the ongoing debate over how much the Constitution protects gay rights.

Arguing for the motion:
* John Eastman: Chairman, National Organization for Marriage & Professor, Chapman Law
John C. Eastman is the Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community at Chapman University School of Law, where he was dean from 2007 to 2010 before stepping down to pursue a bid for California Attorney General. He is the founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. A nationally recognized expert in constitutional law, Eastman has published extensively, including as co-author of a major constitutional law textbook, and has participated in over 60 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage.

* Sherif Girgis: Co-Author, What Is Marriage?
Sherif Girgis, co-author of What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense (2012), is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton and his JD at Yale Law School. He majored in philosophy at Princeton, where he won several academic prizes, including for his senior thesis on sex ethics. Upon graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude in 2008, he went on to earn a master’s degree in moral, political and legal philosophy at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. In addition to publishing in more popular contexts, he has given lectures and talks and engaged in debates on marriage and related topics throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Arguing against the motion:
* Evan Wolfson: Founder & President, Freedom to Marry & Author, Why Marriage Matters
Evan Wolfson is the founder and president of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People’s Right to Marry (2005). In 2004, Time magazine named him one of the "100 most influential people in the world," and in 2012, he won the Barnard Medal of Distinction alongside President Barack Obama. Prior to founding Freedom to Marry in 2003, Wolfson launched the marriage movement as co-counsel in the landmark Hawaii marriage case, Baehr v. Miike. He also contributed to the legal teams in the Vermont case that led to the creation of "civil unions," and in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which led to same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
* Kenji Yoshino: Professor, NYU Law & Author, Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial
Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law. He taught at Yale Law School from 1998 to 2008, where he served as deputy dean and became the inaugural Guido Calabresi Professor of Law. His fields are constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, and law and literature. Yoshino is the author of three books, most recently Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial (2015). In 2015, he became a regular contributor to the New York Times Magazine’s podcast and column “The Ethicists.”

The debate will also stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated NPR show "Intelligence Squared U.S." On June 2, online viewers can tune in here (http://bit.ly/1JHkkLP) or via IQ2's new app (http://shorefi.re/VTwKwx)

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "The Equal Protection Clause Does Not Require States to License Same-Sex Marriages"
WHEN: Tuesday, June 2, 2015 / Reception 5:00-6:00 / Debate 6:30-8:00 PM
WHERE: F.M. Kirby Auditorium at the National Constitution Center / 525 Arch Street / Independence Mall / Philadelphia, PA 19106
TICKETS: $15 for members, teachers, and students / $20 for non-members. To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)
A non-partisan, nonprofit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to restore civility, reasoned analysis and constructive public discourse to today’s often biased media landscape. IQ2US reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts and interactive digital content. It is one of the top 25 most popular podcasts on iTunes, and has won the 2014 Clarion Award for Radio Regular Feature Program and back-to-back 2013-2014 New York Festivals International Radio Awards for Best Public Affairs Program. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Forbes, Dr. Neal Barnard, Arianna Huffington, Paul Krugman, and Karl Rove. With over 100 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia inspires active citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. We serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional educational and debate, fulfilling our Congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a non-partisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, we bring the United States Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, we bring the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Civic Education Headquarters, we deliver the best educational programs and online resources that inspire, excite, and engage citizens about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.

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