Gay Marriage Legal in Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court voided the state ban against gay marriage. Which means Iowa becomes the third state where gay marriage is legal.

The (Iowa) Supreme Court said same-sex marriages could begin in Iowa in as soon as 21 days, making Iowa only the third state in the nation, along with Massachusetts and Connecticut, to legalize gay marriage. While the same-sex marriage debate has played out on both coasts, the Midwest — where no states had permitted same-sex marriage — was seen as entirely different. In the past, at least six states in the Midwest were among those around the country that adopted amendments to their state constitutions banning same-sex marriage.

“We have a constitutional duty to ensure equal protection of the law,” the Iowa justices wrote in their opinion. “If gay and lesbian people must submit to different treatment without an exceedingly persuasive justification, they are deprived of the benefits of the principle of equal protection upon which the rule of law is founded.”

The conservative reaction was swift. "I believe every Iowan should have a voice on this matter and that is why the Iowa Legislature should immediately act to pass a Constitutional Amendment that protects traditional marriage," State Senator Paul McKinley (R). "...keeps it as a sacred bond only between one man and one woman and gives every Iowan a chance to have their say through a vote of the people."

Matt Barber holds several titles at Liberity University. Barber threatened a legal fight.

"If you think you saw a fight in California to restore natural marriage with the successful passage of Proposition 8, then hold on to your hats. Something tells me the fine folks of Iowa don't cotton to seven black robed autocrats supplanting mid-western values with San Francisco vice."

Liberty University was founded by Jerry Falwell. Liberty University's academic research includes Young Earth creationist. They have done research into if dinosaurs were on Noah's Ark.

Barber was fired from Allstate Insurance for using resources and company time to write anti-gay articles. Because of the firing, Liberty University hired the non-practicing attorney Barber to be their Dean of Liberty University School of Law. Barber sound legal mind warns the Iowa Supreme Court ruling will lead men to marry plants.

"Although, not controlling here" continued Barber, "the U.S. Supreme Court long ago rejected the untenable notion that 'equal protection' requires two biologically incompatible persons to be permitted to 'marry.' Marriage, of course, by its very spiritual, historical and biological nature, requires binary compatibility. It is no more discriminatory to disallow two men from marrying each other, than it is to prohibit a man from marrying his house plant.

I would be so happy if Barber was the lawyer to argue, against the Iowa decision, to the U.S. Supreme Court. That wouldn't be any sillier than Barber being a Dean of law. The U.S. Supreme court isn't going to touch the Iowa ruling. That means gay marriage in Iowa is here to stay.