Celebrating Ten Years of Marriage Equality in Iowa—Yes, Iowa
With Varnum v. Brien, Iowa became the third state in America to recognize marriage equality
Today — April 3, 2019 — marks the tenth anniversary of the Varnum v Brien decision from Iowa’s Supreme Court, which legalized same-sex marriage in our state. We were only the third state in America to recognize marriage equality, and we were the first to do so with a unanimous ruling from our Supreme Court. If you have never read the actual decision from the court, it is worth reading in full and is easy to read, even if, like me, you are not a lawyer.
It feels like the decision was handed down just yesterday — and a lifetime ago. April 3, 2009 was a Friday, sunny and crisp, not unlike today. My moms were in the air, flying to visit family in North Carolina, when the Gazette broke the news that morning. They were both struck by successive feelings of shock, disbelief, and then joy and then relief. At the time, I was a senior in high school. This morning, I was able to share my experience on the floor of the Iowa Senate.
