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Tim Bostic to Speak at Virginia Wesleyan
On Oct. 23, the equal rights advocate will share how he came to be a part of the lawsuit that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia
News Release | October 17, 2014
Tim Bostic, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that served as the impetus for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia, will speak at Virginia Wesleyan College on Thursday, October 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. in Blocker Auditorium. Bostic will share his experience as a gay man, how he came to be a part of the lawsuit and what it has meant to him in a presentation titled “Illegal Love: Tim Bostic on Politics, Religion and Marriage Equality.”
"For as long as we have been a nation, marriage has played a fundamental and dynamic role in shaping how we understand what it means to be a man, a woman, a citizen, and a family," says VWC Assistant Professor of History Kathleen Casey. "This is an opportunity to hear how two Virginians—Tim Bostic and his partner, Tony London—recently helped change the face of marriage in this state and beyond. It's a unique chance for us all to pause and reflect on history as it happens."
In July 2013, Bostic and London sought to obtain a marriage license at the Norfolk Circuit Court but were turned down. The couple filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court and on February 13, 2014, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs declaring that laws prohibiting gay and lesbian couples from marrying are unconstitutional. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the decision in a ruling handed down in July, but shortly after the Supreme Court granted an emergency request to stay the mandate, preventing marriages from taking place until further appeal. On October 6, 2014, Bostic and London were finally able to obtain their marriage license after the Supreme Court let stand the Fourth Circuit Court’s ruling.
This presentation is co-sponsored by the VWC History Department, the Women's Center, the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and the Office of Student Activities. For more information, contact Kelly Jackson with CSRF at 757.455.3129 or kjackson@vwu.edu.
About Tim Bostic
A Ph.D. graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Bostic was formerly an assistant professor of English at Old Dominion University (ODU) and is currently a humanities and English professor at the Culinary Institute of Virginia. Prior to his work at ODU, he taught high school English for six years in Norfolk.