Historic Victory for Marriage Equality in Iowa!

High Court clears the way for committed gay and lesbian couples to marry

Today the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that
committed gay and lesbian couples must be allowed to marry in Iowa.
Join us this evening at your local rally to celebrate this momentous
decision! Rally times can be found below, following a statement from
One Iowa Executive Director, Carolyn Jenison.

Statement from Carolyn Jenison:

I want to begin by saying how great it is to be an Iowan! Today, the
Heartland proves again to be fitting of its name. The Iowa Supreme
Court, in clearing the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry,
recognized that love and commitment are at the heart of what makes our
communities strong. As Iowans, we pride ourselves on our strong sense
of community and fairness. It’s only fair that two caring, committed
people are able to take full responsibility for one another.

I grew up in the small town of Randall, Iowa. Like most kids, I had
the same expectation of meeting that special someone to share the rest
of my life with. More than the legal protections and security of
marriage, today’s decision is about recognizing that love and
commitment are not defined by the gender of the participants involved.
It’s about couples like David and Larry from Urbandale or Reva and
Ingrid from Council Bluffs -- couples that have stuck together through
thick and thin, who have raised strong families, and been active in
their communities. Today, the message the Court sends is that these
families are worthy of the same recognition and hold the same value as
any other couple.

As a lifelong Iowan, I have never been as proud of my state as I am
today! Not only will we join Connecticut and Massachusetts as the
third state to offer marriage licenses to gay couples, but Iowa will
set the standard for fairness and equality in the Midwest. I encourage
all Iowans, whether you agree with the Court’s decision or not, to
respect the important role that the court plays. While we may not all
agree with the decision, I think we can all agree that it’s unfair to
stand in the way of someone being able to take care of his or her
long-term partner. I invite those who disagree to engage with us in a
conversation. I encourage you to visit our website at oneiowa.org to
read the personal stories of Iowans affected by today’s decision.
Moving forward, One Iowa will work tirelessly to see that marriage
equality in Iowa is protected and valued with the same vigor that we
pursued it.

I want to thank our wonderful partners at Lambda Legal for bringing
this case before the Courts and all our supporters across the state.
We would not be here today without your support and guidance. I also
want to thank my staff at One Iowa. Our slogan is “together we are One
Iowa” and I know our success is due in large part because of our
commitment to work as a team.

 Join us this evening at your local rally!

Ames Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
ISU Campus next to the Hub
Contact Matt Skuya at 515.314.0213

Cedar Falls/Waterloo Rally
Friday, April 03, 3:00 PM
Univ. of N. Iowa Maucker Union, Cedar Falls
Contact Kaitlin Corbitz at 319.610.7155

Cedar Rapids Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:00 PM
People’s Church Unitarian Universalist
600 3rd Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids
Contact Andrea Jansa at 319.360.8072

Council Bluffs Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Playland Park
2 North 40th Street, Council Bluffs
Contact Matt Skuya at 515.314.0213

Des Moines Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Western Gateway Park
13th Street between Grand & Locust @ 5:30 pm
Contact the One Iowa Office at 515.288.4019

Decorah Rally
Saturday, April 04, 10:00 AM
Winneshiek County Courthouse
201 W. Main St., Decorah
Contact Amalia Vagts at 563.382.6277

Dubuque Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Q’s
920 Main Street, Dubuque
Contact Tina Sio at 563.564.6316

Iowa City Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Univ. of Iowa Pentacrest
On Clinton Street and Iowa Avenue
Contact Matt Fender at 646.752.5932

Mason City Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Cerro Gordo County Courthouse
220 N. Washington Ave, Mason City
Contact Matt Skuya at 515.314.0213

Quad Cities Rally
Friday, April 03, 5:30 PM
Davenport Unitarian Church
3707 Eastern Avenue, Davenport
Contact Ryan Crane at 402.659.8110