Gay Marriage Legal in Iowa! April 3, 2009

Gay Marriage Legal in Iowa!

By Guest Contributor
April 3, 2009

I don’t have time to write much right now, but how wonderful it is to hear that Iowa (Iowa!?) is going to make same-sex marriage legal — starting in three weeks. In a unanimous opinion, no less.

I live next door in Illinois. My neighbors are so damn awesome.

(Thanks to Jeff for the link!)

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  • SarahH

    Yes!!! Hooray for justice and equality and awesomeness! I agree completely with one of the quotes in the article you linked:

    Richard Socarides, an attorney and former senior adviser on gay rights to President Clinton, said the ruling carries extra significance coming from Iowa.

    “It’s a big win because, coming from Iowa, it represents the mainstreaming of gay marriage. And it shows that despite attempts stop gay marriage through right wing ballot initiatives, like in California, the courts will continue to support the case for equal rights for gays,” he said.

    It sounds like Vermont isn’t far behind! What do we know about the governor there?

  • Simon

    Yeeeah!

    Let’s keep up the good work.
    As disheartening the prop 8 and Fred Phelps of this country can sometime be, I think it is, slowly and shakily, still moving in the right direction.

  • Raze

    I moved to Iowa City for school (after growing up in Illinois) and I must say that, at least in this city, people are much more liberal than Illinois, so this doesn’t really surprise me. I’m happy with it, nonetheless!

  • TheDeadEye

    Excellent!! Only 47 more states to go.

  • Jeff Satterley

    I should have included this when I sent the link to Hemant, but here is a pdf of the entire ruling:

    http://www.kcci.com/download/2009/0403/19084885.pdf

  • OK right wingers. Altogether now…
    ACTIVIST JUDGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Another link from the New York Times.

    I love my state today. Congratulations from Ames.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/us/04iowa.html?_r=1&hp

  • CatBallou

    I grew up in Iowa, and the people there are an odd combination of conservative for their own behavior and “live and let live” for others.

    It’s interesting that many of the people (not talking about Iowans now) who believe in “rugged individualism” also believe they should be able to dictate the behavior of other people.

  • I heard this news this morning and was very elated to hear this.

    We lose a state, we gain a state. Would be nice to take more steps forward, but such is the bigotry still embedded in this country.

  • dannyness

    I, for one, will be going down to Q (a gay bar here in Dubuque) and raising a glass or two…or three.

  • stogoe

    My neighbors are so damn awesome.

    Yeah we are. And it makes me smile just a bit knowing we beat your state, and Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and the Left Coast, and and and.

    There will be a constitutional amendment attempt, but the earliest it can go to the voters is in 2012. We’ll have almost four years of living with same-sex marriage before the public gets to vote on (some people’s) marriages. Hopefully that will be long enough to mellow the religious squick.

  • Rest

    Congrats, Iowa! The Gay Agenda shall reign! 😉

    Rest,
    Canada

  • Ben

    As a California resident, all I can say is “I’m so f**king embarrassed!”(and I’m hetero). Who would have thought OHIO would beat us to the punch.

  • Richard Wade

    I hope the California Supreme Court reads the Iowa Court’s opinion. They will be considering the overturning of Prop 8 until early June, and during the argument phase they did not seem very sympathetic.

    Like Ben, I’m disappointed in my state’s backward step, and I am determined to never give up fighting religious intrusions into civil rights. Let freedom ring!

  • mvanstav

    I’m from Michigan but currently reside in California. After hearing innumerable insults from Californians about the midwest being too conservative, I just have to say “BWAHAHA who’s conservative now?” to all those crazy Californians.
    But seriously, almost made me cry at my desk I was so happy to hear this. Who’s next?

  • Here is a breakdown of the complete decision. There is some very interesting language!!

    http://is.gd/qxEi

  • Arguably the best news I’ve heard in a while.

    I can’t believe that I was still thinking that this was a remote possibility as recently as Tuesday morning.

  • Just blogged about this myself.

    Very proud of Iowa!. I just hope that the Prop 8 crowd gets beaten back with a stick.

  • Zadius

    I’m very proud of my state today. I also want to point out that amending Iowa’s state constitution will be MUCH harder than it was in California. It has to pass both houses TWICE over two consecutive legislative sessions, and only then would it be brought to a popular vote on the ballot. Democrats currently hold large majorities in both houses as well. So, as was previously mentioned, the earliest this could be overturned is November 2012.