As same-sex couples fight in state courts around the country for the right to have their unions legally sanctioned, DePaul University will provide a roundtable discussion on the hotly contested issue from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 27 in the Schmitt Academic Center, 2320 N. Kenmore Ave., Room 254.

“Gay Marriage: Faith-based, Legal and Personal Perspectives,” as the title of the program implies, seeks to examine the issue of gay marriage from multiple perspectives. The panel discussion is sponsored by the university’s Humanities Center and is free and open to the public.

Darrell Moore, associate professor of philosophy, will serve as moderator of the panel. Key points to be examined include: the ways in which religious communities articulate positions for or against gay marriage; advantages and disadvantages to making the case for gay marriage in the legislative arena; advantages and disadvantages to making the case before the judiciary; gay marriage as a presidential campaign political football; the issues at stake for those who seek gay marriage and those who oppose it.

Panelists and their areas of discussion are as follows:

The Rev. Gregory Dell, pastor of Broadway United Methodist Church in Chicago, will provide a firsthand account of his experiences as a cleric who actively supports marriage for gay couples. Dell, who has married more than 40 gay couples, was reprimanded and suspended by his denomination in 1999. He was reappointed to Broadway United following a year of suspension and is serving his 34th year as a United Methodist pastor. Dell is one of two pastors in the denomination who have designated their churches as “reconciling congregations,” intentionally inviting and celebrating the identity of all persons regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender.

The Rev. James Halstead, O.S.A., associate professor and chair of religious studies at DePaul, will examine the Roman Catholic Church’s perspective on gay marriage as well as raise the mythic, symbolic and historical-communal issues that several religious communities – including Hindu and Orthodox – have with same-sex unions.

Susan Mezey, an attorney and professor of political science at Loyola University, will look at the law and politics of same-sex marriage, focusing on the Defense of Marriage Act, constitutional equal protection, civil union and the proposed constitutional amendment on marriage. Mezey, who also serves as assistant vice president for research at Loyola, has written several books and articles on the federal courts, Social Security disability policy, women’s rights, children’s rights, child welfare policy and disability rights.

Jacqueline Taylor, director of the Humanities Center at DePaul and professor of communication, specializing in performance studies, will share her personal experiences on the issue as a gay, married mother of two children. Taylor, whose recent academic work is centered on her memoir and autobiography, has published several essays, including, “On Being an Exemplary Lesbian: My Life as a Role Model.” Her recently completed book is titled, “Waiting for the Call: A Memoir of Family, Sexuality, Motherhood and Faith.”

For more information about the panel discussion, please contact the Humanities Center at 773/325-4580 or aperson@depaul.edu .