Friday, April 3, 2009

and Iowa Makes Four.

The Iowa Supreme Court this morning unanimously upheld gays’ right to marry.

“The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision.

The court affirmed a Polk County District Court decision that would allow six gay couples to marry.

The ruling is viewed as a victory for the gay rights movement in Iowa and elsewhere, and a setback for social conservatives who wanted to protect traditional families.

The decision makes Iowa the first Midwestern state, and the fourth nationwide, to allow same-sex marriages. Lawyers for Lambda Legal, a gay rights group that financed the court battle and represented the couples, had hoped to use a court victory to demonstrate acceptance of same-sex marriage in heartland America.

1 comment:

tcamb1 said...

Dear Jim,
I am posting this under this recent blog post, rather than your Dec.1, 2008, post, where I guess it belongs. My name is Tom, and I am the brother of Mark Cambisios, about whom you said such wonderfully kind and touching things. I just happened to come across your blog by googling, and as I read your story about my dear brother, I could hear his voice again and his honest and direct way of taking on the world. Mark and I were very close, and every day I use the lessons he taught me and feel the strength he gave me. When he passed away in February 1996 (has it been that long...), a part of me died, and I felt a little less joy in the world. Your kind comments were a reminder that the effect we have on people in this world isn't always evident during our lives. I'm glad Mark was a blessing to you in your life, and thank you for remembering him fondly.

Tom C.