Gay Marriage Becomes Legal in Iowa

I wonder how Des Moines is this time of year? Today the Iowa Supreme Court declared the state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional and a violation of gays and lesbians civil rights. The court's decision makes Iowa the third state, and the first in the Midwest to legalize same-sex marriage.

The court's ruling, which stated that "the Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution," according to a written statement by court spokesman Steve Davis, stemmed from a lawsuit filed by six Iowa gay couples who were denied marriage licenses, and become effective in 21 days.

"This is a great day for civil rights in Iowa," said attorney Dennis Johnson, a co-counsel with Lambda Legal, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of six same-sex couples seeking to marry in Iowa. "Go get married. Live happily ever after," he said at a news conference where there was loud clapping among plaintiffs.

The ruling comes on the heels of same-sex marriage legislation in Vermont and New Hampshire.