Gay? Come to Iowa!

[thesyntaxera]

Iowa, declared to be the "land of the sodomite damned"...

Now it's official.

Today our state supreme court overturned the ban on gay marriage.

It's good to be damned.

[tyr_13]

Iowa, declared to be the "land of the sodomite damned"...

Now it's official.

Today our state supreme court overturned the ban on gay marriage.

It's good to be damned.

Yay Iowa!

How many times do you get to say that?

[thesyntaxera]

Yay Iowa!

How many times do you get to say that?

Several. Iowa has a long history of putting civil rights first.

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/30/nation/na-iowa30

Iowa public schools were desegregated nearly a century ahead of 1954's Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka. The state was the first to admit a woman to the bar, in 1869 -- three years before the Supreme Court ruled that states could deny women the right to practice law. Iowa City, with its renowned writing program, became a nuclear-free zone even before Berkeley. And there is no death penalty in the state.

[tyr_13]

I stand corrected. Iowa rocks.

[Kthulhut Fhtagn]

I stand corrected. Iowa rocks.

Oh I concur! Good to see there are some states who are willing to put individual liberties and reason first. :D

[tyr_13]

I was hoping it would be my state first, as part of my plan to make the Falls the marriage capital of the world again.

[Starthinker]

The locals are sure in a tizzy. There's a rally AND a protest here at the courthouse tonight. That ought to be interesting.

[wexer9]

Yay! Iowa stands up to discrimination!

[thesyntaxera]

The locals are sure in a tizzy. There's a rally AND a protest here at the courthouse tonight. That ought to be interesting.

Not here in Iowa City. I think there is going to be an impromptu parade or something.

I would just like to personally welcome our new gay overlords.

[Marquis de Carabas]

Come in Iowa, too, if you like.

[cwalner]

My recent relocation from Soddom (LV) to Indianapolis seems almost prophetic. Much shorter trip to get wedding/honeymoon if I so desire.

Now, all I need to do is find some nice muscular, midwestern, farmboy who would want to marry a short fat Jew.

Ok, maybe still some kinks in my master plan, but I'm working on it.

[ravdin]

Iowa public schools were desegregated nearly a century ahead of 1954's Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka. The state was the first to admit a woman to the bar, in 1869 -- three years before the Supreme Court ruled that states could deny women the right to practice law. Iowa City, with its renowned writing program, became a nuclear-free zone even before Berkeley. And there is no death penalty in the state.

Well, 3 out of 4 isn't at all bad.

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Heh, my friend who went to Iowa for a year for college said that she was the only Democrat in her politics class :p .

Hurray :yahoo !

But I won't be moving there any time soon.

[four elevener]

Iowa is the new California.

[shemp]

At the risk of repeating myself, I'm going to repeat what I wrote in the other thread:

Don't you fools understand that if gay marriage is legal in Iowa, thousands of farmers will catch teh ghey??? Then they'll try to milk bulls and will get killed!!! Won't somebody think of the farmers???

[themusicteacher]

Oh, I can just hear the "activist judges" nonsense starting...

If the legislature actually had the stones to man (and woman) up on this issue and do the right thing, the constitutionally correct thing, then the courts wouldn't have to decide on this type of stuff. This is the politicians way of staying out of it to protect their own rears. Cowards.

[cwalner]

At the risk of repeating myself, I'm going to repeat what I wrote in the other thread:

Don't you fools understand that if gay marriage is legal in Iowa, thousands of farmers will catch teh ghey??? Then they'll try to milk bulls and will get killed!!! Won't somebody think of the farmers???

see my post above. I am most defenitely thinking about the farmers. Actually printing what I am thinking about them would violate several rules of the MA so I will refrain.

[shadron]

Not to be a wet blanket or anything, but while the judges in Iowa may rock, the average joe is against all that monkeying around, as determined by their voting. 'cept maybe around Iowa City, since it isn't floating this year. Yet.:D

[IMST]

Not to be a wet blanket or anything, but while the judges in Iowa may rock, the average joe is against all that monkeying around, as determined by their voting. 'cept maybe around Iowa City, since it isn't floating this year. Yet. :P

However, it's very difficult to amend Iowa's constitution (which is what it would take to change it). And by the time they get around to it there'll have been nearly 4 years of teh ghey marriage in the state. It'll be harder for the screaming right to make their case about how we've destroyed everything.

[Monketey Ghost]

I'm so excited I'm gonna choose to be ghey and head there for some legality!

[Starthinker]

At the risk of repeating myself, I'm going to repeat what I wrote in the other thread:

Don't you fools understand that if gay marriage is legal in Iowa, thousands of farmers will catch teh ghey??? Then they'll try to milk bulls and will get killed!!! Won't somebody think of the farmers???

Oh, you non-Iowan. All the farmers here are into corn, soybeans, and HOGS.

[thesyntaxera]

Heh, my friend who went to Iowa for a year for college said that she was the only Democrat in her politics class :p .

Hurray :yahoo !

But I won't be moving there any time soon.

That's odd. Which school did she go to? Here in IC the University's Law department and PolySci department caught some flack from the local GOP because almost all, if not all of the instructors were Democrats. Just more of that "Far Left Conspiracy" crap.

Oh, you non-Iowan. All the farmers here are into corn, soybeans, and HOGS.

Yeah! And...only about 5% or less of our states population are farmers.

[Starthinker]

Went to the rally, about 50-60 people showed up but I'll bet half of them were media. KIMT showed up, will watch for me on the news with my daughter. Her friend was there waving a sign and people were honking and there were speeches. It was nice to be part of something. Some bikers stopped briefly and revved their engines, thought it was going to get ugly, but they just left after a few minutes. Lots of couples reduced to tears.


http://www.starthinker.com/images/rally.jpg

[shemp]

If you want to go cornholing in Iowa, you need one of these! (http://www.cheroes.com/iohacoset.html)

[PitPat]

Oh, I can just hear the "activist judges" nonsense starting...

If the legislature actually had the stones to man (and woman) up on this issue and do the right thing, the constitutionally correct thing, then the courts wouldn't have to decide on this type of stuff. This is the politicians way of staying out of it to protect their own rears. Cowards.

Rest assured there will be a referendum on the next Iowa ballot that inserts constitutional language prohibiting same-sex marriage. Mostly funded by out-of-staters. I'm happy for the ruling, and I hope it will withstand a ballot initiative. Iowa state politics isn't my forte but I assume there's a mechanism for forcing the issue to the voters.

The definition of an "activist judge" for me is one who consistently issues opinions with which I disagree. Goes for both sides of the aisle. I can't say I know the legal merits, of either side, for the case in question. Those technicalities are out there, surely, though I can't be bothered to look them up right now. Even if the ruling is negated by referendum, it's still a victory, considering it was the first midwestern state to sanction gay marriage.

For the record, I'm neither gay nor marriage-inclined. But nobody else should make the decision for me. So there.

[linusrichard]

Rest assured there will be a referendum on the next Iowa ballot that inserts constitutional language prohibiting same-sex marriage.
Rest assured there won't.
Mostly funded by out-of-staters. I'm happy for the ruling, and I hope it will withstand a ballot initiative. Iowa state politics isn't my forte but I assume there's a mechanism for forcing the issue to the voters.
The Iowa Constitution is not so easily amended. First it has to be passed by both houses of the legislature. Then, after the next election, it has to be passed by both houses of the new legislature. Then it goes to the people for a vote.

As was mentioned earlier in the thread - by the time it gets to the people (if it gets to the people) there will have already been a few years of gay marriage in Iowa, without the sky falling. In other words, I'm optimistic.

[Starthinker]

Rest assured there won't.

The Iowa Constitution is not so easily amended. First it has to be passed by both houses of the legislature. Then, after the next election, it has to be passed by both houses of the new legislature. Then it goes to the people for a vote.

As was mentioned earlier in the thread - by the time it gets to the people (if it gets to the people) there will have already been a few years of gay marriage in Iowa, without the sky falling. In other words, I'm optimistic.

They said on the news that if someone started today the soonest a change could be made is 4 years. That's if everything went smoothly and there were no objections. One of the speakers said the people who started this, in Polk county, have stated that they will not object or pursue anything further.

There was supposed to be an equal or greater protest at the courthouse yesterday but no one showed up, not sure if that's an accurate thermometer for the state, but I was pleasantly surprised. (I don't think the bikers were part of any kind of organized protest, so I'm not counting those, and they were gone in two minutes.)

[PitPat]

Well color me jaded. Living in a state where initiatives require about 4 signatures to qualify for the ballot (and the whole CA Prop 8 fiasco), I just assumed Iowa was in the same ballpark. So much for me stereotyping the midwest. Iowa does indeed rawk.

[Nankay]

Gays began lining up early in the morning to get their marriage licenses today. Several couples were able to have the 3 day waiting period waived and GOT MARRIED right there! (gasp)


YAY IOWA!!! BTW, I am a hetero female married now for over 20 yrs. and so far I haven't felt the least bit diminished since that first marriage ceremony at 9 AM today. Go figure.

[DevilsAdvocate]

Heh, my friend who went to Iowa for a year for college said that she was the only Democrat in her politics class :p .

Hurray :yahoo !

But I won't be moving there any time soon.Sure that was University of Iowa and not Iowa State? Or maybe Ohio. Or, more likely, Idaho. People get them confused. Iowa is the one with corn.

I don't think there are any non-Democrats in Iowa City. Maybe some Independents. There is at least one Republican I know from out of town that visits the city from time to time. Even Ames is split, and still probably leans Democrat. Unless your friend went to some small hick college in southern Iowa… :confused:

[StanBearclaw]

We don't take kindly to activist judges round these parts (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101103/NEWS09/11030390/Iowans-dismiss-three-justices).

[NobleXenon54]

If judges can be voted out because they made a constitutional ruling, why have a constitution? Just throw out that step about their being judges and/or a constitution.

[Schrodinger's Cat]

Yeah, I don't really understand why people are so happy about Iowa.

The populace just voted to get rid of three judges involved in the gay marriage decision. Which is the first time that supreme court judges have been voted out.

While the Iowa Supreme Court certainly deserves its due credit, I don't see how people can be arguing Iowa is some kind of awesome gay mecca.

[four elevener]

I knew it wouldn't last. I mean...it's Iowa for crying out loud. Isn't that where the children of the corn live?

[thesyntaxera]

If judges can be voted out because they made a constitutional ruling, why have a constitution? Just throw out that step about their being judges and/or a constitution.

It's in our state constitution that voters can vote for retention of judges. They cannot however pick the judges so it didn't really change that much. We have Darth Vader Platts of western Iowa to thank for this awesome demonstration of democracy at work.

Yeah, I don't really understand why people are so happy about Iowa.

It's pretty simple really. Iowa is awesome 98% of the time. Despite this recent turn of events I wouldn't rush to paint Iowa as some sort of conservative enclave that had gay marriage foisted upon it. Nearly half of the state voted for retention. What's more confusing is that Democrats outnumber Republicans by some where around 100,000 people in our state which is a huge number given our population...and we still elected a Republican in the gubernatorial race.


The populace just voted to get rid of three judges involved in the gay marriage decision. Which is the first time that supreme court judges have been voted out

First time since 1962 I believe.

While the Iowa Supreme Court certainly deserves its due credit, I don't see how people can be arguing Iowa is some kind of awesome gay mecca

Well, you won't see Iowans putting civil rights up for a ballot initiative here, because you can't. Unlike some other more liberal locations in this country.

I knew it wouldn't last. I mean...it's Iowa for crying out loud. Isn't that where the children of the corn live?

See, it's blanket statements like this that causes me to wonder if there isn't something to the conservative line about liberals being coast based elitist douches...but that would be just another blanket statement about another group of people wouldn't it?

[pgwenthold]

I am trying to understand something. Wasn't the Iowa Supreme Court ruling 9 - 0?

If that is the case, it's not like it was really a contentious decision or anything. Rulings that go 9 - 0 pretty much have to be clear-cut. It's not like the Iowa Supreme Court has 9 very liberal judges or anything (sure, the liberal judges might be a majority, but there are still conservatives there).

When I see a SC ruling that goes 9 - 0, I don't blame the judges.

[JoeB]

7-0, but yes, it was unanimous.

Here's the equal protection clause the ruling was based on

All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation; the General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms shall not equally belong to all citizens.

[Starthinker]

This just goes to show you how powerful advertising can be. Voting out the judges won't change a thing, not a thing, but people believed that by voting out the judges it would "send a message" and then lawmakers would change the law. Some people actually believed that voting out the judges would automatically change the law back. As I stated above, there is a long process that would take at least 4 years if things went smoothly and things never go smoothly. It has to span two legistlative sessions and both sessions have to agree.

The really sad part is seeing who is a bigot, I had some surprises.

And the Children of the Corn were in Nebraska. Iowa is where the Bridges of Madison County and the Field of Dreams is located.

[thesyntaxera]

This just goes to show you how powerful advertising can be. Voting out the judges won't change a thing, not a thing, but people believed that by voting out the judges it would "send a message" and then lawmakers would change the law. Some people actually believed that voting out the judges would automatically change the law back. As I stated above, there is a long process that would take at least 4 years if things went smoothly and things never go smoothly. It has to span two legistlative sessions and both sessions have to agree.

The really sad part is seeing who is a bigot, I had some surprises.

And the Children of the Corn were in Nebraska. Iowa is where the Bridges of Madison County and the Field of Dreams is located.

What it really shows me is that some people here in Iowa don't understand that there are just some things you shouldn't be allowed to vote on...like the civil liberties of others.

On another note, won't it take even longer now because we didn't vote for a constitutional convention?

If that is the case, it's not like it was really a contentious decision or anything. Rulings that go 9 - 0 pretty much have to be clear-cut. It's not like the Iowa Supreme Court has 9 very liberal judges or anything (sure, the liberal judges might be a majority, but there are still conservatives there).

If I remember right most of the judges are conservatives, and some are even christian conservatives who don't agree with the ruling they ultimately made. They just did it because that is what our law states, as someone else posted above.

[kmortis]

I'll say that I've been pleasantly surprised since I've moved to Iowa. All I ever really knew growing up in Chicago was that there was corn....lots o'corn. And pigs. Did I mention the corn?

Then I moved here. Even the more conservative people I know here are more of the small-l libertarian mindset than what I knew in either Upstate New York or Massachusetts. Both those places, while predominantly liberal, had some serious fundy-based right wingers. While I've met a couple of bigots here, most of the conservatives I've met are more tolerant overall.

But that could be the influence of living around the second largest "city" in Iowa.

I hope you who have lived here longer are right. I'd hate to see it over turned because the populous were swayed by jackassed right-wingers out west.

[thesyntaxera]

I'll say that I've been pleasantly surprised since I've moved to Iowa. All I ever really knew growing up in Chicago was that there was corn....lots o'corn. And pigs. Did I mention the corn?

Then I moved here. Even the more conservative people I know here are more of the small-l libertarian mindset than what I knew in either Upstate New York or Massachusetts. Both those places, while predominantly liberal, had some serious fundy-based right wingers. While I've met a couple of bigots here, most of the conservatives I've met are more tolerant overall.

But that could be the influence of living around the second largest "city" in Iowa.

I hope you who have lived here longer are right. I'd hate to see it over turned because the populous were swayed by jackassed right-wingers out west.

I hope your time in our state is enjoyable. I agree totally with your statements. Iowa is almost exactly as you stated. Living in the Iowa City area as I do it's easy to forget that most of the Iowa is center-right on most things.

When you say west, do you mean western Iowa? It's like some weirdo religous conservative alternate universe out there. Similar to southern Iowa too.

[kmortis]

I hope your time in our state is enjoyable. I agree totally with your statements. Iowa is almost exactly as you stated. Living in the Iowa City area as I do it's easy to forget that most of the Iowa is center-right on most things.

When you say west, do you mean western Iowa? It's like some weirdo religous conservative alternate universe out there. Similar to southern Iowa too.
Iowa City? We're practically neighbors. I'm up in Cedar Rapids.

Yeah, that part of the state that considers Des Moines to be eastern Iowa. I've only been out that way once, so I can't talk too much about it first hand.

[thesyntaxera]

Iowa City? We're practically neighbors. I'm up in Cedar Rapids.

Yeah, that part of the state that considers Des Moines to be eastern Iowa. I've only been out that way once, so I can't talk too much about it first hand.

I blame the Dutch. Particularly the Dutch Reform branch. They invaded Iowa many moons ago.

Yeah, we are practically neighbors. I work at the U of I. I am guessing....Rockwell for you?

[kmortis]

I blame the Dutch. Particularly the Dutch Reform branch. They invaded Iowa many moons ago.

Yeah, we are practically neighbors. I work at the U of I. I am guessing....Rockwell for you?
It's always the Dutch's fault, iddin it?

Yup. What gave it away? The dashing good looks, or my magnifa...magnifec...terrific writing?

[thesyntaxera]

It's always the Dutch's fault, iddin it?

Yup. What gave it away? The dashing good looks, or my magnifa...magnifec...terrific writing?

Your profile info....the good looks were a close second.