All Iowa marriages finally, truly equal

Proponents of marriage equality celebrated a landmark victory last week as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that 14th Amendment due process and equal protection clauses establish a fundamental right to marriage that must be observed by all states.

Iowa - one of the earliest states in the nation to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples - was also lauded for its influential role. The state has a long history of protecting individual rights, and residents have every reason to take pride in continued accomplishments.

This is not to say that Iowa's journey to equality was easy. Heated battles were fought along the way, with three state Supreme Court justices sadly among the casualties.

But for all the dire predictions surrounding same-sex marriage in Iowa, no catastrophes have befallen us. There are no riders of the apocalypse on the horizon.

As once was feared by some, no churches have been forced to perform gay weddings, rather religious freedom has expanded so that those supportive of same-sex unions could do so.

The addition of gay and lesbian couples did not mar the institution of marriage, but expanded its umbrella offering strengthened legal, familial and emotional bonds.

Frankly, same-sex marriage hasn't changed most Iowans' lives one whit. The once-heated debate now seems mundane. Marriage is marriage; no additional modifiers are required.

That said, Iowa's recognition of same-sex marriages had its limits.

Each April, Iowans file state and federal income tax returns. While most married Iowa couples can file jointly, same-sex couples were prohibited from joint filings on federal returns.

Most Iowa couples happily plan their summer vacations, knowing they only need to temper their national wanderlust against their checking account balance. Same-sex couples were not as free, knowing that any number of arbitrary state borders could nullify their union.

Thousands of dollars have been spent by same-sex families each year to establish and maintain a patchwork of legal documentation needed to provide just some of the protections automatically afforded to opposite-sex families.

From rights related to inheritance to medical visitation, from powers of attorney to taxation, all Iowa marriages are now finally and truly equal in the eyes of law.

That's something we should all celebrate.

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