Now this is interesting since the state of Iowa is put in the spotlight for the 2008 Presidential race.
A Polk County judge on Thursday struck down Iowa's law banning gay marriage.
The ruling by Judge Robert Hanson concluded that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and he ordered the Polk County recorder to issue marriage licenses to six gay couples.
"This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation, I just cannot believe it."
Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization, said the ruling requires "full equality for all Iowans including gay and lesbian Iowans and their families."
"The Iowa Constitution has lived up to its promises of equality for everyone," she said.
Gay couples from anywhere in Iowa could apply for a marriage license from Polk County. The process takes three days, however.
Polk County is expected to appeal the ruling to the Iowa S upreme Court.
County Attorney John Sarcone said the county would immediately seek a stay from Hanson, which if granted would prevent anyone from seeking a marriage license until an appeal could be heard.
The case will be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which could refer it to the Iowa Court of Appeals, consider the case itself or decide not to hear the case.
Des Moines lawyer Dennis Johnson represented the six gay couples who filed suit after they were denied marriage licenses. He called the ruling "a moral victory for equal rights."
Johnson argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. He said the Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998, contradicts previous court rulings regarding civil rights and should be struck down.
Johnson called the Defense of Marriage law "mean spirited" and said it was designed only to prohibit gays from marrying. He said it violates t he state constitution's equal protection and due-process clauses.
Lambda Legal, which spearheaded a same-sex marriage drive across the country, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the gay and lesbian couples in Polk County District Court on Dec. 13, 2005.
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6 comments:
Quick call Mitt he's in trouble now. He just back stabbed his best buddy Senator Craig and now those hateful words will come back to kick him in the butt. Look I think all Americans should have rights I guess because I remember we I didn't.
The Constitution applies equally? Yes that was always my impression too, thankfully a judge sees it that way.
These are for Jackie:
The Russian Bond
Putin out cowboys Bush
Oops! The cat got the picture links backwards. The don't miss pictures of Putin on a horse were on the first link.
Those pictures had to be a jab at Bush. Didn't they serve him hot dogs!!??
If the Gerbil goes shirtless too, will that improve his ratings and poll numbers? Desperate people do desperate things. LOL!
Thank you so much Mr. Kitty
I may be old but I'm not blind and Putin is nice on the eyes. I downloaded the pictures for safe keeping. You one of those days when everything goes wrong I can look at Putin's picture and see one fine man. As for SPB's comment about the Gerbil I think he looks just like the picture that shows Bush with the clown face it suits his personality.
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