(Editor’s Note: Read Today’s Iowa Supreme Court Hearing On Same-Sex Marriage: Defense Argues Tradition, Polygamy, Procreation to learn more about what issues the closing arguments focused on, direct quotes, and see the entire proceeding on video.)
The Omaha World-Herald’s front page story in its Sunday edition is about the gay marriage battle in Iowa, from a personal point of view. It details the lives of one of the six gay couples whose case will be heard tomorrow in Iowa’s State Supreme Court. The case will decide whether same-sex marriage will become legal in Iowa.
“Reva Evans and Ingrid Olson share a home. They share bank accounts. They share a son. But they are not married. With one simple line in Iowa state law, the women areprevented from joining their lives together legally: “Only a marriage between a male and a female is valid.“”
“Nebraska voters in 2000 approved a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. A federal judge ruled it unconstitutional, but a panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in July 2006.”
It was Christmastime two years ago when Evans and Olson were hit head-on by an out-of-control driver when they were on their way home from church.
Olson, 30, rushed their then-6-month-old son to the hospital, while Evans, 34, filled out the accident report.
When Evans arrived at the hospital, she was eager to see her son, but a hospital employee stopped her because she didn’t understand who Evans was. Evans and Olson are both Jamison’s mothers, the women explained, but the hospital worker didn’t seem to understand what they were telling her.
“Had I been able to say ‘I’m married to Reva,’ people can’t question that,” Olson said. “There’s power that comes from being married.””