Thomas Messner
Thomas M. Messner researches and writes about religious liberty, right of conscience, nondiscrimination laws and the definition of marriage, among other issues, as a visiting fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at The Heritage Foundation.
Messner earned his law degree from Notre Dame Law School and his bachelor of arts degree from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. After law school, Messner clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and practiced law in Washington, D.C.
All Publications by Thomas Messner
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Backgrounder posted October 22, 2009 by Thomas Messner
The Price of Prop 8
Abstract: Supporters of Proposition 8 in California
have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial
scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships,
angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross
expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex
marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage
to…
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Executive Summary posted October 22, 2009 by Thomas Messner
Executive Summary: The Price of Prop 8
Support for Proposition 8, the democratically established
marriage amendment in California, has come with a heavy price for
many individuals and institutions that think that marriage should
remain the union of husband and wife. Publicly available sources,
including evidence submitted in a federal lawsuit in California,
show that expressions of support for Prop 8 have…
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Executive Summary posted September 18, 2009 by Thomas Messner
Executive Summary: ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage
Individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and
wife have strong reasons to be concerned about nondiscrimination
proposals like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). ENDA
would elevate sexual orientation to a protected status under
workplace nondiscrimination laws. Proponents often argue that ENDA
and similar laws at the state and local levels are focused
exclusively…
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Backgrounder posted September 18, 2009 by Thomas Messner
ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage
Abstract: A significant body of evidence
suggests that sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws like the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) can function as important
incremental steps toward same-sex marriage. This evidence, which
shows how effective a step-by-step strategy can be for redefining
marriage, provides substantial cause for individuals who support
marriage as the union of husband and…
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