Today, The University of Iowa released a survey finding that almost 60% of those polled in Iowa favor either same-sex marriage or same-sex civil unions. Even the negatives are in relatively small numbers. Less than 30% of Iowans would like to see gay marriage and gay civil unions banned.
In 2007, Iowa’s ban on same-sex marriage was determined to be unconstitutional. In that ruling, the judge wrote,
“This court has yet to hear any convincing argument as to how excluding same-sex couples from getting married promotes responsible reproduction in general or by different-sex couples in particular. So far as this court can tell (the law) operates only to harm same-sex couples and their children…”
The judge who decided that case later suspended his ruling pending an Iowa Supreme Court appeal. Next month, that court will hear a landmark case which may decide for Iowa the fate of gay marriage. But Iowans themselves are siding in favor of gay marriage rights. “Iowa stubborn” no longer.
Video via DesMoinesRegister.com: “Two men — Sean Fritz, 24, and Tim McQuillan, 21 — got married Friday, Aug. 31 [2007], in Des Moines, Iowa. The two Iowa State University students rushed to file all the necessary paperwork and have a marriage ceremony after a judge struck down the state’s law preventing same-sex marriages. Shortly after they were married, the judge issued a stay, which prevented the county recorder from issuing any more marriage licenses.”