Iowa Supreme Court Affirms Same-Sex Couples' Right to Marry

Earlier today, the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of six same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in 2005. The Court affirmed Polk County Judge Robert Hanson’s 2008 ruling that Iowa’s marriage law defining marriage as between one man and one woman was unconstitutional. Read full decision

The National LGBT Bar Association applauds the Iowa Supreme Court for this important decision and extends a hearty congratulation to Lambda Legal for this historic victory. Iowa becomes the third state, in addition to Massachusetts and Connecticut, to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Below is the National LGBT Bar Association’s press statement from earlier today:

Statement of the National LGBT Bar Association On The Iowa Supreme Court’s Gay Marriage Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 3, 2009

CONTACT: Eric Wingerter
(202) 243-9995


Washington—The National Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association, the nation’s leading association of LGBT legal professionals, today issued a statement on the Iowa Supreme Court decision in the case Varnum v. Brien, which established Iowa as the first Midwestern state to allow same sex couples to marry.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the State of Iowa recognizes that lesbians and gays must be afforded the same rights as the rest of society,” said D’Arcy Kemnitz, the Executive Director of the Association. “Marriage offers couples thousands of individual legal benefits, and while we have always believed, from a moral perspective, that these should apply to everyone, today the court has affirmed this from a constitutional perspective as well.”

“The decision represents an enormous step forward for civil rights, in no small part because it was made in the Heartland. If it can happen in Iowa, we know that one day we will see barriers to equality fall throughout the country,” said Kemnitz.

Kemnitz continued, “This is an especially proud moment for LGBT legal professionals nationwide, and we would like to commend the exemplary work of our colleagues at Lambda Legal, who have represented their clients brilliantly.”

Iowa joins two other states, Massachusetts and Connecticut, in extending marriage rights LGBT couples. Three additional states, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont, allow for gay couples to enter into civil unions which afford many of the same rights as legal marriage.

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The National LGBT Bar Association is a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal organizations. The association promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity.