ADVISORY/Experts Available To Discuss Massachusetts High Court Ruling in Favor of Same-Sex Marriages.Business Editors ADVISORY... --(BUSINESS WIRE) TOPIC: A ruling Wednesday by the Massachusetts high court will allow the nation's first same-sex marriages to take place in the state starting in mid-May, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an article by The Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. . Next Wednesday, the Legislature will ponder a proposed constitutional amendment, which defines marriage as legal only if it is between a man and a woman. However, some experts do not expect the proposed amendment to be put on the ballot until 2006, meaning the Massachusetts decision would stand, at least, until then. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story: Sheila Suess Kennedy is a professor at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs and is an expert on civil rights and charitable choice Charitable choice refers to direct government funding of religious organizations to provide social services. Created in 1996, charitable choice allows government officials to purchase services from religious providers using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), . Kennedy is a former law firm partner and former executive director of the Indiana affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. . Kennedy can share her insight on rights of free speech, religion, and press, as well as gay rights. 317-274-2985 or 317-632-3633 shekenne@iupui.edu Professor Sharon Whitney, of the Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, a small city approximately seventy miles (110 km) east of Nashville. , Department of Political Science, has expertise in the law and political behavior of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding First Amendment and non-discrimination policies for race, gender, and sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. . 931-372-1264 Professor Kenneth Holland, of the University of Memphis The University of Memphis is a public research university located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, and is a flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system. , Department of Political Science, is an expert on the role of the courts in the American political system. In the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , courts play both a legal and a political role. He studies the limitations on the capacity of the courts to act as agents of social change and as makers of social policy. In constitutional law, his focus is the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment. He can share his expertise on the African-American, female, Latino, Asian-American, Native-American and gay and lesbian Civil Rights Movements. 901-678-3320 ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue. ExpertSource provides academic and industry experts to the media at no charge. Journalists are encouraged to submit queries to ExpertSource when seeking experts on specific subjects. An online registration form is available at http://www.businesswire.com/. |
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