Thursday Oct. 6, 7:00 pm at SUNY LECTURE CENTER 100

NEW PALTZ, NY (Sept. 20, 2005) -- Three New Paltz authors, Erin Quinn, Jason West and Jeffrey McGowan will discuss “Family Values for New Paltz and the Nation” on Thursday Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at SUNY Lecture Center 100, New Paltz Campus. The event is sponsored by the SUNY New Paltz Sociology Department.

The three authors will discuss why gay marriage, Green politics, and the “don’t-ask-don’t-tell” military have all become targets for social and political discourse on “family values” in America. By weaving the themes of their interconnected stories and ideals, the three authors provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex issues that are affecting the New Paltz community and the nation at-large.

Erin Quinn, author of Pride & Politics: The Tale of a Big Story in a Small Town (Mix Multimedia) is the story of the same-sex marriages solemnized by New Paltz Mayor Jason West. Quinn is the award winning reporter for the New Paltz Times who, as a “local“ had unprecedended access to the elected officials, activitists, the same-sex couples and the town’s people who became entwined in this widely covered national media event.

Jason West has become a political force for his generation. In Dare to Hope:  Saving American Democrcy (Miramax Books), he offers an accessible blueprint for everyday activism and engagement in your community. Perhaps best known for marrying same-sex couples, he has been a defendant in numerous lawsuits for solemnizing without a license.  With logic, charm, and conviction, he has used his platform as mayor of New Paltz, New York to present a radical vision of human rights. He sees the issue of gay marriage in the context of civil rights and basic equality under the law, which he extends to fair housing, property taxes, and energy use.

Jeffrey McGowan's memoir, Major Conflict: One Gay Man's Life in the Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell Military (Broadway Books) is the first personal account of a gay man's silent struggle in the don't-ask-don't-tell military, from a cadet who rose to the rank of major, left as a decorated Persian Gulf hero, and whose same-sex marriage was the first on the East Coast performed by Jason West.

The public and SUNY students are invited to attend the free event. There will be a question and and session following the panel discussion. The authors will sign their books, which can be purchased at the event.