Iowa Supreme Court: Same-sex marriage ban "unconstitutional"

Good job, Iowa. Now, too bad Texas can't do the same.

This is good news. Hopefully the religious right will soon realize they're on the losing side of history. Unfortunately I doubt it though.

At the news conference, Jason Morgan, who was with his partner, Chuck Swaggerty, said they had been together nearly 12 years.
"We've been together in sickness and health, through the death of his mother, through the adoption of our children, through four long years of this legal battle," Morgan said, choking up. "And if being together through all of that isn't love and commitment or isn't family or isn't marriage, then I don't know what is."

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This says it all.

GO IOWA!

You guys kick ass!

whistlelock said:

Good job, Iowa. Now, too bad Texas can't do the same.

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As much as I wish Texas would, I fear that day won't come anytime soon.

Meanwhile, a same sex couple in California, who have been together 23 years and registered as domestic partners in 1991, and have children, are being parted, breaking up their family. One of them is being deported to the Philippines, because the federal immigration laws only recognize actual marriage when it comes to one's partner's immigration status.

All that other stuff means nothing.

"Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, domestic partnerships and even legal same-sex marriages, such as those last year in California and which still occur in Massachusetts, aren't recognized as valid in immigration cases."

Signed by Bill Clinton, in an act of political cowardice.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/04/03/MNSF16QV9B.DTL

Dommo said:

This is good news. Hopefully the religious right will soon realize they're on the losing side of history. Unfortunately I doubt it though.

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Oh, they've been *great* sports throughout history at accepting and endorsing scientific and social advancements! ^_^

rugcat said:

Meanwhile, a same sex couple in California, who have been together 23 years and registered as domestic partners in 1991, and have children, are being parted, breaking up their family. One of them is being deported to the Philippines, because the federal immigration laws only recognize actual marriage when it comes to one's partner's immigration status.

All that other stuff means nothing.

"Under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, domestic partnerships and even legal same-sex marriages, such as those last year in California and which still occur in Massachusetts, aren't recognized as valid in immigration cases."

Signed by Bill Clinton, in an act of political cowardice.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/04/03/MNSF16QV9B.DTL

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Fucked.

Up.

Wooohooo!! Hooray IOWA

whistlelock said:

Good job, Iowa. Now, too bad Texas can't do the same.

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BradyH1861 said:

As much as I wish Texas would, I fear that day won't come anytime soon.

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Nate Silver estimates 2018.

Go Iowa! Hopefully this can happen in Washington sometime soon, preferably before I'm dead.

Alan Yee said:

Go Iowa! Hopefully this can happen in Washington sometime soon, preferably before I'm dead.

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Well, the Supreme Court here already spoke a few years ago. So I think it will only happen in Washington legislatively. ERW's strategy seems to be an aggressively incremental one. I'd be very surprised if Jamie Pedersen doesn't introduce a bill in 2010. It might even pass then, but I think 2011 for sure.

I never thought Iowa would be on the forefront of GLBT rights, but wow! Good job!

I was born and raised in Iowa and to tell the truth, I'm not surprised to see this come out of my native state. Iowans have a true sense of fairness and justice that you don't see everywhere. I am very proud of Iowa.

Of course, I'm sure that small but vocal elements in the state won't try to take away the rights of a group of people who they don't like. I hope they don't succeed and that Iowa – verdant, educated, fly-over Iowa – becomes a belweather for the rest of the country.

Iowa state motto:
"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain."

Iowans kick ass!

You guys are now part of the "states that actually matter" list I have.

Zoombie's List:

California
Iowa.


I mean, we all know California takes up 95% of the entire country and the rest of the states are all squeezed over to the back anyway...

Congratulations, Iowa! NJ is considering legalizing same-sex marriage, but it's unlikely they'll do anything until after the gubernatorial election in November.

Today, the first same-sex couples were married in Iowa. I raise a glass to them, and will raise it higher when they get the federal benefits I do.

Pretty pictures here and here.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lyv said:

Today, the first same-sex couples were married in Iowa. I raise a glass to them, and will raise it higher when they get the federal benefits I do.

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You get Federal benefits for being married?? Like what??

Bird of Prey said:

You get Federal benefits for being married?? Like what??

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Like my husband's Social Security if he dies. Like being able to file our taxes as married. Like avoiding inheritance taxes. There are some we don't get, but other couples would, like those who were in the military. You really don't know of the federal benefits of marriage? I don't mean that snidely; just wondering.