Eric Carpenter has a good story over at OCRegister.com regarding Proposition 8 and a talk UCI Law School Dean Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky gave today on the topic.
UCI Law dean speaks against gay-marriage ban
Professor Erwin Chemerinsky talks at Irvine church whose members are waging fight against Prop. 8.
IRVINE – The California Supreme Court’s ruling allowing gay marriage is based on sound constitutional principles and allowing Prop. 8 to pass would be an “incalculable blow to progress,” the dean of UCI’s law school said Sunday.
Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky spoke to about 100 people Sunday as an invited guest of Irvine United Congregational Church. The church identifies itself as a “liberal and inclusive” congregation that includes gay and lesbian members.
His speech was the latest in a mounting debate over Prop. 8, the Nov. 4 California ballot measure that would amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman and would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Chemerinsky said Prop. 8 would not only define the issue of gay marriage in California, but would have a nationwide influence.
“If Prop. 8 is defeated, I believe that within my lifetime we will see a majority of states allow same-sex couples to marry,” said Chemerinsky, 55, a renowned constitutional scholar who became the founding dean of UCI’s Law School earlier this year, after stints at USC and Duke University.
“If it is approved, that progress will be halted,” he said, “The stakes are enormous.” Read More.