Iowa

Two of our new bloggers are trying to get pregnant in the comfort of their Iowa home. ProudParenting.com member - Us 2 - is sharing their story with us.

She writes: "This is my first blog! We have attempted at home insemination for the past 3 months. We have been together for the past 8 years. We have good jobs and own our home..."

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Two courts in Iowa have different views of adoption legislation in the state. The Supreme Court has sided with fair-minded citizens.

The AP is reporting on a story involving a female couple raising two children. One mom is biological, and one adoptive. They have separated, and the adoptive mom has asked the courts to determine custody and support for the kids.

According to The American Surrogacy Center, the law in Iowa has not addressed the surrogate arrangement.

Iowa Code 70.11, which makes it unlawful to sell or purchase another person, provides for an exception in the surrogate arrangement. This section indicates that the state has accepted the surrogate arrangement and that a surrogate contract is not against public policy.

About 20 gay couples in Iowa had finished applying for marriage licences when the county appealed and Polk County Judge Robert Hanson formally stayed his ruling.

The stay meant the recorder's office was not permitted to accept any more marriage applications from gay couples until the Iowa Supreme Court rules on the county's appeal.

A 63 page decision issued by the Iowa District Court for Polk County said that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry based on the Iowa Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment under the law.

STORY UPDATE HERE.

The case was filed by Lambda Legal on behalf of six same-sex couples and their families in Iowa. The historic lawsuit is the second important win this summer by Lambda Legal.

Although President Bush maintains a conservative-Republican presence on every issue, Democrats now control both houses of Congress. They won majorities in 10 new state legislatures, and control a majority of America’s governorships.

What's been happening in the U.S. over the last ten years? A large increase in the number of gay and lesbian households in the middle of the country.