Statements On Iowa Same Sex Marriage Win

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Rea Carey, Executive Director

“This ruling marks another watershed moment in the struggle for full equality. No longer will same-sex couples have their relationships treated as less than equal by the state. The court rightly affirmed that no loving committed couple should be denied marriage and the critical protections only marriage can provide. This ruling also affirms our common humanity by providing same-sex couples with the opportunity to participate in the shared hopes and dreams of making a public commitment to the person they love. We are thrilled that equality has come to Iowa!

Freedom To Marry
Evan Wolfson, Executive Director

“There's a rainbow over Iowa today, and marriage equality has come to America's heartland,” said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality and Gay People's Right to Marry. “The Iowa Supreme Court’s unanimous willingness to do its job faithfully will give Americans yet another opportunity to experience what they’ve already begun to see in Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, South Africa, and much of Europe—the lived reality that ending exclusion from marriage helps families and harms no one.”

Marriage Equality
Stuart Gaffney, USA Asian Pacific Islander Outreach

“Iowa joins the growing number of states that recognize that marriage discrimination is both un-American and unconstitutional. Our country is a nation which guarantees the rights of all of its citizens to be treated equally under the law,” said Stuart Gaffney Marriage Equality USA Asian Pacific Islander Outreach Director. “Just a generation ago, my parents were legally married in California, because the California Supreme Court overturned the state’s law prohibiting interracial couples from marrying, but faced government discrimination against their marriage when they moved to Missouri and waited until 1967 for the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the bans on interracial marriage. My husband, John, and I married in California last year, and we believe that marriage discrimination against same-sex couples will end soon, too, and that our marriage will be recognized throughout the country.”

GLAAD
Neil Giuliano, President

"Today's ruling affirms that loving, committed gay and lesbian couples should no longer be excluded from marriage. GLAAD congratulates and expresses our deepest appreciation to One Iowa, Lambda Legal, the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and the other organizations, leaders and courageous couples whose work and perseverance culminated in today's ruling. GLAAD urges local and national media reporting on this historic story to ground their coverage in the stories of the Iowa couples whose enduring commitment is at the heart of today's decision."

Family Equality Council
Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director

“The Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous, pro-equality ruling in Varnum v. Brien reminds us what's at stake in the struggle for equal marriage—families' abilities to care for and protect themselves. Thousands of LGBT families in Iowa are raising children. These children deserve the same recognition and respect that children of other married parents get. I'm very proud that Family Equality Council has actively supported LGBT families in Iowa leading up to the Court's decision. Working with state partners, we will continue to prepare our Iowa families for any backlash that may come. We are building a coalition of national, state, and local family groups to support Iowa efforts; providing extensive spokesperson training to put the power of our families to work; and training our colleagues on family-centered approaches to grassroots organizing, ensuring that the families most affected by this ruling are involved in the process of ensuring its permanence."