Iowa Supreme Court voids ban on same-sex marriage
On Friday, April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a 1998 state law limiting marriage to one man and one woman. Iowa is now the 3rd state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage. The other two states are Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The Iowa Supreme Court Opinion cited a constitutional duty to ensure equal protection under the law – “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.”
Though this is a victory for advocates of same-sex marriage, there are many unanswered legal questions that remain, such as what happens when same-sex couples relocate to another state that does not recognize their marriage, or what happens when and if the couple wants to divorce.
For more information on same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships across the country, see the story in The Houston Chronicle.