The Iowa Supreme Court's overturning of the law banning same-sex marriage in that state either bolsters the arguments of those pushing for gay marriage in California or has nothing to do with the issue here. It depends on who you ask.
National Center for Lesbian Rights legal director Shannon Minter:
“The fact that two state
supreme courts–including now a court in the heartland of our country–have now followed the California Supreme Court's holding on that
issue underscores very powerfully that the Court cannot back away from
that holding . . . without undermining its credibility and stature.”
Yes on Proposition 8 general counsel Andy Pugno:
“It's obviously not
relevant to the current California case. The decision in
Iowa looks almost identical, really, to California's split decision of
the Supreme Court a year ago–they were examining a regular statute
only under their state constitution just as the California court did. There's no comparison to the present case, where the people
have now changed our California Constitution and the court is now
deciding whether they could validly do so.”
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And then there's Ted Casablanca on E! Online's The Awful Truth blog:
“If friggin' Iowa (no offense, babes, but California 's got
way more fruits and nuts) can become the third state to pass legalized
gay marriage,
I really do think it's time to take this to the presidential level. At
least for a nice cheerleading encouragement to his statewide
supporters. . . . California's Mormon-fueled passage of Prop 8 ain't
Barack's style; Iowa's high-court ruling legalizing gay marriage is. So just come out and say it and officially support gay unions already, prez! Ellen and Portia and a whole lotta other folks who helped funnel you into office would appreciate it.”
For those keeping score at home, California's Supremes ruled 4-3 last May to deem as
unconstitutional state laws banning
same-sex marriage. On Nov. 4, 52.3 percent of California voters
approved Proposition 8, adding to the state constitution a section
specifying that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or
recognized in California.” Our Supremes heard
arguments March 5 on whether Proposition 8 should stand, and if it
does, what should happen to the estimated 18,000 same-sex couples who
wed last year; a decision is expected within the next two months or so.
Last night, Vermont became the first state to
approve same-sex marriage through legislation without pressure from the
courts. But, sorry, Maple Syrup State, Massachusetts, Fire Island, West
Hollywood and The Castro: a western Iowa congressman says it is Iowa
that will now become the “gay Mecca.”
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.