California’s Continuing Battle over Same-Sex Marriage In May 2008, the California Supreme Court held unconstitutional a state ban on same-sex marriages, making California the second state to officially permit same-sex marriage. The court’s decision has drawn criticism from various quarters, including a 20 June letter from the LDS First Presidency urging California Church members to get involved in campaigning for a new ballot initiative defining marriage as only between one man and one woman. This panel will discuss several aspects of this ongoing controversy, including the legal doctrines at issue in the case, the ramifications for individuals, both inside and outside California, and the case’s possible effect on other unpopular proposed marriage systems, such as plural marriage. It will also consider the Church’s involvement in the context of both the earlier campaign to define marriage and this new one just getting underway. Finally, how might these recent events affect our ability as Latter-day Saints to love and serve our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters?

Kaimipono (Kaimi) D. Wenger, Clark Pingree, Nadine R. Hansen