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Sodomy Laws and Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Equality are Focus of April 1 Panel

From Hardwick to Lawrence: Sodomy Laws and GLBT Equality in the New Century

March 17, 2003

 

Sodomy laws in relation to equal protection, the right to privacy, and the 1986 case of Bowers v. Hardwick, which upheld Georgia’s sodomy law, will be the focus of a panel discussion at the Moritz College of Law on the campus of The Ohio State University on Tuesday, April 1. The discussion, “From Hardwick to Lawrence: Sodomy Laws and GLBT Equality in the New Century,” will be held at 4 p.m. in the Saxbe Auditorium in Drinko Hall, 55 West 12th Avenue.

• View Archived Webcast

The discussion will also look at Lawrence v. Texas, a U.S. Supreme Court case considering the constitutional validity of Texas’ same-sex sodomy law. The case was argued before the Court on March 26.

The panel discussion, which is open to the public, will be broadcast live on the World Wide Web. A link to the web cast will be located here. The broadcast will be archived and may be viewed at a later time from the same location.

Nationally-known speakers will give short presentations, which will be followed by a question-and-answer discussion session. Participating are:

• Marc Spindelman of the Moritz College of Law, author of “Reorienting Bowers v. Hardwick,” a 2001 North Carolina Law Review article that called for a re-examination of Hardwick, which upheld Georgia’s sodomy law.
• Anthony Varona of Pace Law School in New York, former chief counsel of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian and gay political organization.
• J. Paul Oetken of Debevoise and Plimpton in New York, co-author with Georgetown Law Center Professor Chai Feldblum of the amicus brief submitted in the Lawrence case on behalf of gay lawyers’ groups.

The forum will be moderated by Moritz College of Law Professor Sarah Cole.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Moritz College of Law, the Office of Professional Development, and two Moritz College student groups: the GLBT Law Association and the American Constitution Society. Following the forum, a reception be held in the Student Lounge.

The Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University is Ohio’s flagship law school. Approximately 650 students attend classes at the school’s John Deaver Drinko Hall, located at 55 West 12th Avenue, Columbus.

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