[media-credit name=’PATRICK STATZ-BOYER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The recently passed gay-marriage and civil unions ban continues to draw scrutiny on the University of Wisconsin campus, as students and staff gathered Wednesday to discuss the controversial resolution's possible implications.

UW students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Madison community, met in Memorial Union Wednesday evening to talk about the amendment's effect on the future of domestic partner benefits at UW. Dane County was the only county in the state to vote "No" in last Tuesday's general election.

The amendment, which effectively bans same-sex marriage and civil unions in Wisconsin, has gained ire from a number of prominent leaders at UW. According to Chancellor John Wiley, UW is the only university in the Big Ten that does not offer domestic-partner benefits.

Wiley added the amendment would negatively impact the university's ability to attract and retain valuable faculty and staff.

"Intelligence, creativity, and all of the other things we look for in faculty are absolutely uncorrelated with sexual preference," Wiley said. "In this instance, we're apparently forced to discriminate against our will."

But State Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, who authored the amendment, said the university's continuing efforts opposing the ban are immaterial at best.

"It's passed, [so] it's kind of irrelevant," Gundrum said. "Oppose away."

Gundrum, along with other pro-amendment advocates, have long heralded the ban as a way to prevent "activist judges" from jeopardizing the sacred institution of marriage.

Wiley started the discussion, along with Interim Dean of Students Lori Berquam and Provost Patrick Farrell, in a room of more than 100 people. Berquam said the discussion was important because it allowed people to listen to each other and share ideas about the amendment and its impact on the university.

Many suggestions of alternative means of offering domestic partner benefits at UW have already been proposed and "shot down," according to Wiley, and Wednesday was an opportunity for the general public to continue brainstorming.

Wiley also noted UW's status as a public school ties it tightly to the state Legislature, unlike Edgewood College and St. Mary's College, which have the ability to offer domestic-partner benefits to their employees because of their private status.

He added it was "supremely ironic" that those notably conservative schools are able to offer employees domestic-partner benefits, while UW — thought of by many as a progressive university — cannot.

Many faculty members engaged in the discussion said they intend to leave Wisconsin because they fear the amendment will act as a financial drain on their families.

"I'm on the job market," said Concha Gomez, an academic staff member in the UW mathematics department. "But my family is here."

Others present said that although the marriage amendment will make it difficult to live in Wisconsin, they are staying to defend their position. Assistant chemistry professor Tehshik Yoon said he would stay "to fight."

UW sophomore and Students for a Fair Wisconsin Chair Eli Judge challenged the affected faculty to stay and fight for domestic-partner benefits, and promised that his organization would support them. Judge also said Students for a Fair Wisconsin has not and will not "fizzle out" just because the elections are over.

"We have proven that we are an effective force on campus — students have proven that they are passionate about this issue," Judge said.

UW College Republicans Chair Erica Christenson did not return a phone call seeking comment as of press time.