Same-Sex Marriage and the Next Generation

September 1, 2010 by Tamara Bell

[HTML1] On August 4, a federal district court judge struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution.

To say the judge’s ruling caused a ripple heard round the country would be an understatement, as supporters and opponents of the controversial amendment try to figure out the next steps in this ongoing battle. To walk us through what happens next, we have guest Joel Henderson, an openly gay Gen Yer.

As in generations before who fought for a woman’s right to vote and equal opportunities for minorities, Generation Y is faced with its own battle against discrimination. Joel joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to talk about how young people’s acceptance of same-sex marriage bodes well for its eventual integration into our society. Because, as Joel points out, every American should be allowed to marry the person they love, regardless of gender.

More about Joel Henderson
A native of suburban Houston, Joel graduated in 2007 from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television, Film. Soon after, he took off to New York City, where he works for PostWorks, a television and film post-production company that works from dailies to delivery on 30 Rock, Gossip Girl, Bored to Death, Nurse Jackie and Damages.

Joel is an openly gay Gen Yer, who, in his free time, volunteers with Broadway Impact, a grassroots organization devoted to marriage equality. Earlier this year, Joel marched with Broadway Impact in the New York City Pride Parade.

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About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.