Cornell College hosting discussion of same sex marriage decision

A little more than a year after a unanimous Supreme Court decision that made Iowa the first state in the Midwest to allow same-sex marriage, Cornell College is hosting a discussion of the impact that decision has had.

On April 3, 2009, in a unanimous Supreme Court decision, Iowa became the first state in the Heartland to grant the freedom to marry gay and lesbian couples. On Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m., Cornell will host  Brad Clark, Campaign Director for One Iowa, and Kate and Trish Varnum, plaintiffs in this historic Supreme Court case. They will speak in West Science 100 on Cornell’s campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Clark was born and raised in Iowa, graduating from Central College in Pella in 2003 with a BA in Economics and Political Science. He was first inspired to help other LGBT youth when he was fired from a leadership position in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship because of his sexual orientation. Since that time, he has remained a staunch advocate for LGBT issues, helping to lead One Iowa’s campaign for marriage equality.

Kate and Trish Varnum, longtime partners who live in Cedar Rapids, were lead plaintiffs in the case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Iowa. Although their lawsuit was motivated by personal reasons, they are proud that their fight will forever be linked with the struggle for equality by other same-sexed partners. They will be speaking at Cornell only 10 days following the anniversary of the court ruling.

Brad Clark and the Varnums are visiting campus as part of Alice Dreger’s course, “What is Sexual Orientation?” Dreger is a visiting Cornell Presidential Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor of Clinical Medical Humanities and Bioethics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Her research and patient advocacy have focused on the medical and social treatment of people born with atypical bodies, including people with atypical sex types, conjoinment, cleft lip, and dwarfism. Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. She has also appeared as an expert in the history of medicine and medical ethics on HBO, NPR, CNN, ABC News, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Dreger’s course is sponsored by Cornell’s Presidential Fellows Program, the Women’s Studies Department, and Dimensions: the Center for the Science and Culture of Healthcare.

For additional information, please contact Aparna Thomas, Assistant Professor, Women’s Studies/Politics, at (319) 895-4590 or AThomas@cornellcollege.edu