One year ago today, the Iowa Supreme Court's Varnum v Brien ruling went into effect. From April 27, 2009 through the end of last year, at least 1,783 same-sex couples received marriage licenses in Iowa. The real number is probably higher, because about 900 marriage licenses did not specify the gender of the couple involved. Despite a petition drive led by some Iowa Republicans and the Iowa Family Policy Center, not a single county recorder denied a marriage license to a same-sex couple.
Across the country, from Maine to here in Washington state, agents of discrimination are relying on their typical mix of lies and rank fear-mongering to try to convince voters to take rights away from gay people. In both states, the opponents of basic equality got vile smears and blatant lies into circulation before dropping the most flagrant charges and switching to different language that plays on the same fears they just whipped up.
One of the reasons efforts to discriminate have been successful to this point is the amount of support they receive from straight men. For whatever reason, a lot of us take cues from each other, so I wanted to put this out there.
Voters will elect a new state representative for Iowa House district 90 in a special election on September 1. The southeastern Iowa district leans slightly Democratic in terms of voter registration, but political scientists have found that special elections and by-elections often favor opposition parties, whose supporters are more motivated to turn out. (Democrats control both chambers of the Iowa legislature as well as the governor's chair.)
Neither Republican Stephen Burgmeier nor Democrat Curt Hanson has highlighted same-sex marriage rights during the brief campaign in district 90, but a major advertising campaign funded by the National Organization for Marriage is likely to put the issue front and center during the final stretch.
(the GOP has no new issues... - promoted by poligirl)
Iowans in House district 90 will elect a new state representative in a special election on September 1, and the Republican candidate appears to be planning to make same-sex marriage a major campaign issue.
I do most of my writing at the Iowa progressive community blog Bleeding Heartland.
Last year at this time I was scrambling to make as many phone calls and knock on as many doors as I could before the Iowa caucuses on January 3.
This week I had a little more time to reflect on the year that just ended.
After the jump I've linked to Bleeding Heartland highlights in 2008. Most of the links relate to Iowa politics, but some also covered issues or strategy of national importance.
I only linked to a few posts about the presidential race. I'll do a review of Bleeding Heartland's 2008 presidential election coverage later this month.
(on evangelicals, Rick Warren, and the meaning of that choice... - promoted by poligirl)
There has already been a lot of discussion regarding President - Elect Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. But I feel like I have a responsibility to add my voice to the chorus. I'll explain why below.
One of the most important progressive equal rights issues for me is Marriage Equality for same sex couples. Why? Because it's one of the last Government sanctioned forms of discrimination.
This week there was a huge victory for Marriage Equality with the California Supreme Court striking down the State's 2000 ban on gay marriage.
One of the first knee jerk reactions of Republicans in the State was to declare that the Court was legislating from the bench, just a bunch of "activist" judges (Of course the minor detail they forget to mention in their partisan bigot filled hissy fit is that 6 of the 7 judges were appointed by Republican Governors). They also argue that this will lead to the legalization of "polygamous and incestuous marriage". Another whopper is that the ruling undermines the voters because the bill was passed with 61% supporting the ban on gay marriage. And of course the best argument is that we as citizens must protect marriage and I wrote earlier in the week, Protect Marriage? From What Exactly?.
So, what is all the fuss about? It's a sea change and Republicans can sense that they will probably lose this battle in the end. This is when all politics become local politics. A precedent in such a large State like California will resonate with other States who have yet to take this issue head on.
