Iowa marriage ban amendment fails to clear procedural vote

The push to rescind marriage rights for same-sex Iowa couples hit a wall this week, after the state Senate, in a procedural vote, refused to move forward on a constitutional amendment that would have required the state to recognize only unions between a man and a woman. 

The 26-24 party-line vote follows an earlier promise by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (pictured) to refuse to consider any bill that would reverse marriage equality.

Former gubernatorial candidate goes after remaining Iowa judges who established gay marriage

Bob Vander Plaats (pictured), a 2010 candidate for Iowa's Republican gubernatorial nomination, is working to oust the remaining four state Supreme Court judges who were part of a unanimous decision establishing marriage equality in the state. 

The other three judges who were part of that decision have already been voted off the court. 

"We're getting an organization in every county. With ambassadors and grass-roots coordinators. So that we can activate on pro-family issues," Vander Plaats said.

Thank the Iowa Supreme Court justices who got the boot because they ruled in favor of gay marriage

Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal writes:

"Last week, three well-respected Iowa Supreme Court justices—Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, Justice David Baker and Justice Michael Streit—lost retention elections following a vicious campaign by antigay groups. The justices were targeted because of the Court's 2009 unanimous decision in favor of marriage equality in Lambda Legal's historic lawsuit. We can't let extremists politicize our courts.

Hundreds of people around the country have pledged to fight back by protecting fair courts and fair judges. Join us!"

SIGN THE PLEDGE and share this message with your friends.

Yesterday, Lambda Legal asked their Facebook followers how they would say thank you to the justices. Hundreds have already responded. Here are some of the highlights:

"There is no way I could thank them enough for their courage to do the right thing. I wish there was a way to express my gratitude in a manner befitting the magnitude of their service."


"Thank you for your courageous stance, and thank you for standing for what you believed in. You deserve to be commended for your honesty."


"Thank you for fighting to make it possible. Laura and Kimberly, married in Iowa City, July 30."

How we won Iowa

With Lambda Legal’s recent Iowa marriage victory in Varnum v. Brien, all eyes turn to the nation’s heartland. Camilla Taylor, senior staff attorney and architect of the case, joined the Diane Rehm Show and NPR's Fresh Air to discuss the strategy that led to the April 3 Iowa Supreme Court decision. Listen to the National Public Radio broadcasts and read this article and more in Lambda Legal’s “In the News.”

Today you can get a marriage license in Iowa

Today is the first day that same-sex marriage license are being issued in Iowa. So romantic!

Iowa: America's next Prop. 8?

From HRC:

If we don't act decisively, America's next Proposition 8 could happen in Iowa.

In the six days since Iowa lesbian and gay couples won the freedom to marry, powerful right-wing groups have been mounting a campaign to REVERSE this historic decision.

They are pushing for a constitutional ban on marriage for lesbian and gay couples in Iowa – just like California's Proposition 8.

While key Iowa leaders have been defending this decision, successfully staving off a marriage ban for now, it's critical that they hear public support as the right-wing onslaught continues – fueled by this week's marriage victory in Vermont. Send a message thanking Iowa's leaders and urging them to resist right-wing pressure.

Tell Iowa's legislative leaders to stay strong – and stop the next Prop. 8!

Dude, calm down

Glassy-eyed Iowa Rep. Steve King (R-Kiron) is worried Iowa is going to become "the gay marriage Mecca."

Somehow, I doubt it's going to be a problem.

GLAAD applauds Iowa gay marriage ruling

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today applauded the Iowa Supreme Court's decision in that state's landmark marriage case. The court's ruling in Varnum v. Brien affirmed a District Court's ruling that the state's ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples is unconstitutional and instructs county recorders to start issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples in twenty-one days.

"Today's ruling affirms that loving, committed gay and lesbian couples should no longer be excluded from marriage," said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "GLAAD congratulates and expresses our deepest appreciation to One Iowa, Lambda Legal, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and the other organizations, leaders and courageous couples whose work and perseverance culminated in today's ruling."

"GLAAD urges local and national media reporting on this historic story to ground their coverage in the stories of the Iowa couples whose enduring commitment is at the heart of today's decision," Giuliano concluded.

GLAAD Media Field Strategist Sarah Kennedy is currently in Iowa supporting state LGBT leaders One Iowa and the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, as well as Lambda Legal, in their media outreach and education efforts.

Varnum v. Brien was filed by Lambda Legal in December 2005. On August 30, 2007, an Iowa District Court judge ruled that denying marriage to gay couples was unconstitutional. Twenty-four hours later, the judge issued a stay on his order; but in that time, 19 same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses and one couple legally married.

Iowa Supreme Court rules for gay marriage

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled this morning that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in Iowa. This historic decision fulfills the Iowa Constitution's promises of liberty and equality. We are so proud of the courageous plaintiffs and their families who stood up for love, dignity and equal treatment under the law.

The Iowa Supreme Court is the fourth state high court to rule that excluding same–sex couples from civil marriage is unconstitutional, after Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut. In their powerful unanimous decision, Justice Cady wrote:

"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective. The legislature has excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification."

Lambda Legal filed this case in 2005 on behalf of six same–sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in Iowa, and on behalf of three of their children. Dawn and Jen BarbouRoske of Iowa City are one of our wonderful plaintiff couples. They have been together more than 18 years and have two children, McKinley and Breeanna. After Jen delivered McKinley eight weeks early, they realized that Dawn could be prevented from being with their daughter in the hospital because she was not legally related to either Jen or the baby. Because they were not married, they had to leave their daughter in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital to seek the help of an attorney. This experience drives home just how important it is to be able to marry.