Ben Smith at Politico reports:
The Iowa Supreme Court today ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage violates the state constitution's equal protection clause, striking down a 1998 state law limiting marriage to a man and a woman.
The ruling makes Iowa the first state in the heartland, and the first key swing state, to legalize same-sex marriage.
As well as being a major win for the gay rights movement, the ruling could change the state's landscape in 2012, bringing social issues to the fore for conservatives in the Iowa caucuses and further strengthening the hand of religious conservative favorite Mike Huckabee in his party's 2012 caucuses.
Source: Ben Smith's Blog
We aren't talking about marriage here in the traditional sense, but rather about civil partnership termed "civil marriage". As Obama said during his campaign, "marriage" is an ecclessiastical institution, beyond the perview of civil government. Now, was Obama talking that way to get elected or does he make this distinction? If he does makes this distinction, gay activists aren't going to be happy because it doesn't gain them the public approval they seek. As stated on page 9 of the Iowa Court's decision: "the ultimate disadvantage expressed in the testimony of the plaintiffs is the inability to obtain for themselves and for their children the personal and public affirmation that accompanies marriage."
Read the Iowa Court's Decision here.
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