Tonight, the Union Board will tackle one of the country's most controversial issues: gay marriage. The board's debates and issues committee has brought a gay rights activist and a consultant for President Bush to campus to discuss the issue in "Gay Marriage: A Civil Debate" at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union. The board is encouraging anyone who is at all interested in the issue of gay marriage politically or personally to attend. Admission is free.\nThe same-sex marriage advocate is John Corvino, a professor at Wayne State University and writer for the Independent Gay Forum. Opposed is Glenn Stanton, a consultant for the Bush Administration on fatherhood issues regarding Head Start child development programs. \nCorvino and Stanton travel and debate together with the intention of showing students that two people can disagree very strongly on a topic but still discuss it civilly in a public forum, said Adam Newman, debates and issues director for Union Board.\nWhile the main purpose of the debate is to help students address and answer the question of whether or not gay marriage is good for society, Newman said he believes there are other purposes as well.\n"Gay marriage is a topic that dominates the political agenda and is also something that is very important, personal and emotional to many people," Newman said. "We really need to show students how to discuss significant subjects such as this, listen to each other and still be able to have meaningful conversation."\nNewman said he hopes at the end of the debate students will walk away with both a better understanding of the issues and how to agree to disagree with each other. \n"I want people to leave the debate feeling more knowledgeable and that they can discuss this issue or any other issue that they feel strongly about with someone else civilly, even if they have an opposing viewpoint," Newman said. \nIU students also seem to agree that this debate is essential.\n"With the number of gay students on IU's campus, gay rights are obviously an issue that many feel strongly about, and they need to be addressed," said junior Whitaker Blackall. "I am glad that the Union Board recognizes this and is taking initiative because gay rights are something that effect so many people so personally"
Debate over gay marriage tonight
Independent Gay Forum writer, Bush consultant to face off
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