Several hundred gather at Des Moines rally urging gay marriage vote

Iowans who want a vote on banning gay marriage gathered on the steps of the Iowa state capitol over the noon hour Tuesday.

Several hundred people waving signs and shouting “let us vote” vowed to break the impasse in the Iowa Senate to let the Iowa Marriage Amendment come up for consideration.  The Iowa House passed the legislation earlier that would eventully put the issue of limiting marriage to one man and one woman on a statewide ballot.

The Family Leader, a socially-conservative group, organized the event.

Bob Vander Plaats,  who headed the successful campaign to oust three state Supreme Court justices last November, told the crowd, “we don't believe this is is a 60-day battle or a six month battle – we are in this fight for the long term and we are not going away.”

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore got the featured speaker role at the rally.  Moore lost his office for refusing to remove the ten commandments from a court building.  He told the crowd as Iowa goes on the gay marriage issue, so goes the nation.

“This is not a Republican issue, this is not a Democrat issue - it's an American issue,” Moore said.

Vander Plaats and other speakers urged the crowd to go inside the statehouse and lobby local lawmakers to bring the marriage bill up for a vote.

While the rally was taking place, a handful of opponents stood nearby with signs including one saying “support all marriage.”

One participant, Lolena Franklin of Keosauqua, said  “I believe if we had an opportunity to vote, we know how the vote would go.”

Franklin brought a group of 17 teens to the rally from a church in Keosauqua.  Franklin added “I believe we'll keep working, and it will happen.”

One Iowa is a group that supports gay marriage and members set Tuesday as their “lobby day” at the statehouse in support of gay rights issues.

The traditional marriage rally was a direct response to that lobbying plan.