Three prominent experts in the ongoing debate surrounding marriage equality will gather at Har Sinai Temple on Dec. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. for a public forum.
HOPEWELL — Three prominent experts in the ongoing debate surrounding marriage equality will gather at Har Sinai Temple on Dec. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. for a public forum.
”Marriage Equality: The Start of a New Era: A Forum on Gay Marriage” will feature attorney Lawrence Lustberg, who won the recent landmark case that struck down New Jersey’s ban on same-sex marriage.
It also will have William Stacy Johnson, Princeton Theological Seminary’s chairman of theology, whose book “ A Time to Embrace,” examines the place of committed gay couples in society.
Also on the panel will be David M. Rosenblum, legal director at Philadelphia’s Mazzoni Center, who will discuss efforts to get a same sex marriage law passed in Pennsylvania.
The seminal experiences of the experts is combined with headlines that have featured everything from the recent marriage of two male West Point graduates to a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll showing New Jersey voters were in favor of gay marriage by nearly 2 to 1.
The state became a focal point in the recent gubernatorial election because of Gov. Chris Christie’s opposition to same-sex marriage and his veto of the state’s same-sex marriage bill.
The Christie administration dropped its opposition when the New Jersey Supreme Court voted gay marriage could proceed in the state following a lower court’s ruling in favor of it.
The juggernaut to bring marriage equality to New Jersey was triggered, in part, by the Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Now Pennsylvania remains the only state in the Northeast that does not allow same-sex marriage.
Retired Hunterdon County Superior Court Judge Peter Buchsbaum will moderate the forum that will allow its audience to ask questions of the experts after their initial presentations.on the legal, religious and political aspects of gay marriage.
Sponsored by Har Sinai’s Arms of the Temple, the gay marriage forum is part of the temple’s ongoing efforts to engage the community in timely topics that ignite discussion.
There are no restrictions on who can attend and no fee for participation. The temple, at 2421 Pennington Road at the Denow Road West traffic signal, asks that anyone interested in attending reserve a seat by calling 609-730-8100 by Nov. 30. Free, lighted parking is onsite.