{"id":656,"date":"2007-08-28T21:23:12","date_gmt":"2007-08-28T21:23:12","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2007-08-28T21:23:12","modified_gmt":"2007-08-28T21:23:12","slug":"iowa-court-same-sex-couples-must-be-allowed-to-marry-iowa-constitution-guarantees-equal-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proudparenting.com\/2007\/08\/iowa-court-same-sex-couples-must-be-allowed-to-marry-iowa-constitution-guarantees-equal-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Iowa court: Same-sex couples must be allowed to marry. Iowa constitution guarantees equal treatment."},"content":{"rendered":"

A 63 page decision issued by the Iowa District Court for Polk County<\/cite> said that same-sex couples must be allowed to marry based on the Iowa Constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment under the law.<\/p>\n

STORY UPDATE HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“This decision brings to life the Iowa Constitution’s promise of equality for same-sex couples and their families in Iowa,” said Camilla Taylor, Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago.<\/p>\n

“This is a significant step forward in recognizing the constitutional rights of all Iowans, and it’s an amazing day for same-sex couples and their families all across Iowa,” said Dennis Johnson of Dorsey and Whitney, co-counsel for the Plaintiffs with Lambda Legal.<\/p>\n

Less than two hours after word of the ruling was publicized<\/a>, two Des Moines men applied for a license, the first time the county had accepted a same-sex application.<\/p>\n

In his decision, Judge Robert B. Hanson said, “Couples, such as Plaintiffs, who are otherwise qualified to marry one another may not be denied licenses to marry or certificates of marriage or in any other way prevented from entering into a civil marriage pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 595 by reason of the fact that both persons compromising such a couple are of the same sex.”<\/p>\n

“This is kind of the American Dream<\/a>,” said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. “I’m still feeling kind of shaky. It’s pure elation, I just cannot believe it.”<\/p>\n

In December 2005, Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit with the Polk County Court on behalf of six same-sex couples<\/a> who were denied marriage licenses in Iowa, arguing that denying marriage to same-sex couples violates the equal protection and due process guarantees in the Iowa Constitution, and prevents these couples from taking care of each other and their children. Today’s decision comes after a hearing in May of this year where both sides made arguments before the court. <\/p>\n

The plaintiffs in this case include:<\/p>\n