Secure the freedom to marry

Progress is an incredible thing. Gallup Research recently found that 71 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage — an astonishing statistic little more than seven years after the Supreme Court made the freedom to marry available to couples nationwide. As the lead plaintiffs in the case that made Iowa the third state in the nation that granted LGBTQ+ couples the freedom to marry, this is welcome news.

Unfortunately, that freedom is now under siege from the very same court. That’s the bad news. But Congress can step up and protect a right favored by an overwhelming number of citizens by passing the Respect for Marriage Act.

This bill would codify into law the existing right for same-sex couples to marry under federal law, removing any uncertainty that a future court decision could pose. The Respect for Marriage Act has already passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. In fact, three out of four of Iowa’s U.S. representatives voted for the bill, including Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

Roughly 8 percent of Iowa marriages have occurred between same-sex couples, according to state statistics. Since licenses began being issued to same-sex couples in 2009, more than 6,000 same-sex couples tied the knot here.

In an evenly divided U.S. Senate, it’s time for Iowa’s senators to follow the lead of their Republican colleagues in the U.S. House and do the right thing by voting in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act.

Trish and Kate Varnum

Cedar Rapids