“In the last two years, courts have rapidly expanded the rights of LGBT Americans by striking down state same-sex marriage prohibitions,” said Anthony Michael Kreis, a doctoral candidate in political science and public administration and policy at UGA. “The Supreme Court had the opportunity to nationalize same-sex marriage and dramatically reshape the constitutional protections for LGBT people and they did."
UGA experts available to comment on the case are:Anthony Michael Kreis, Ph.D. candidate, political science and public administration and policy, School of Public and International Affairs 908-268-1340, [email protected] http://spia.uga.edu/directory/students/kreis-anthony-michael
Soon after earning his law degree at Washington and Lee University, Kreis began assisting in legislative drafting efforts for marriage equality initiatives in various states, including New York, Maryland, and Washington. He has extensively chronicled the early history of same-sex marriage legislation and the impact of related litigation. His scholarship on same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and LBGT rights has been published in top tier journals at Emory, William and Mary, and Yale, among others. Kreis's focus lies at the crossroads of law, politics and public policy with a specialization in issues confronting sexual and racial minorities and civil liberties. During his tenure at UGA, he has continued to pursue civil rights law reform and often testifies before legislative committees on LGBT rights issues. He has received numerous awards from campus groups and statewide civil rights organizations in recognition of his advocacy.
Justin LavnerAssistant professor of psychology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences 706-542-3033, [email protected] http://psychology.uga.edu/directory/justin-lavner
Lavner’s research focuses on understanding couple and family development over time. He is interested in family and mental health issues among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, and has examined family functioning among LGBT adolescents and among same-sex parents and their adoptive children.
“Studies of same-sex couples have indicated that same-sex relationships resemble those of heterosexual couples in many ways. The quality of same-sex relationships is as high as that of heterosexual couples, and the factors that affect the quality of these relationships are similar,” he said.
“Research on marriage in general indicates that it offers unique psychological benefits to couples. Same-sex couples that have gotten married have similarly spoken about the ways that marriage has provided more meaning and enhanced their relationships with their friends and families. These facts are recognized in a joint amici curiae brief by the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association. These organizations argue that denying same-sex couples access to marriage stigmatizes their relationships, and call for overturning bans on same-sex marriage.”
Hillel Levin, Associate Professor of Law, UGA School of Law 706-542-5214, [email protected] http://www.law.uga.edu/profile/hillel-y-levin
Levin specializes in constitutional law, the legal battles over same-sex marriage, and law and religion. This past academic year, he authored articles on same-sex marriage legal issues and taught a semester-long seminar about the current cases. Previously, he served as a judicial clerk for Judge Thomas J. Meskill of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit and for Judge Robert N. Chatigny of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. His law degree is from Yale University.
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