Attention focused on Iowa's same-sex marriage anniversary

Updated Monday, March 29, 2010

My Sunday, March 28, Gazette column was about the one-year anniversary on April 3 of the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling making same-sex marriage legal in Iowa.

No discussion of that ruling passes without some kind of comment from the public, and how the news media cover its impact. I look forward to the comments, although I expected criticism from those opposing the ruling.

The March 28 Gazette also contained coverage of how some people are feeling about that ruling. Here are some data Gazette columnist Todd Dorman posted on his blog about the number of marriage licenses sought in Iowa this past year.

Last year's ruling still generates political heat from people wanting a state law or constitutional amendment that repeals it, and the expected response from those who say the ruling was a long time coming in a fight for equity.

My column argued that three general factors drive the debate:

• The personal and accompanying emotional attachment of those involved.
• Deeply held beliefs about what is right or wrong.
• Deep division among Iowans about the ruling.

The Gazette includes same-sex partners in the list it prints of people seeking marriage licenses in Linn and Johnson counties. The newspaper also accepts same-sex marriage announcements from people who submit them for Milestones – one wedding and one engagement ran this past year.

Our reason for doing this is simple and straightforward: these are matters of public record or personal milestones about a legal activity. We have no plans of changing that policy.

Links

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling

Supporting the ruling include: One Iowa, Equality Iowa and Same-Sex Marriage in Iowa

Wanting to overturn the ruling include: Iowa Family PAC, Iowa Family Policy Center Action and LUV (Let Us Vote) Iowa

Recent legislative coverage: Same-sex marriage issue garners attention, March 4, 2009

GazetteOnline search: same-sex marriage