Prop 8 verdict sparks strong reaction from gay-rights supporters, opponents
from The Iowa Independent
U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling Wednesday that California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional has been greeted with both joy and outrage in the Hawkeye State, with at least one legal scholar saying it could hurt efforts to pass a similar ban in Iowa.
Carolyn Jenison, executive director of LBGT-rights group One Iowa, called the ruling, “a victory for all Americans who believe in fundamental fairness,” but warned that the work for marriage equality is far from over.
“This is the first step attempt toward remedying the pain done by California’s Proposition 8 and recognizing gay and lesbian couples who simply want to marry the person they love,” Jenison said in a statement, later adding: “In order to make equality a reality for all Americans, we must continue to have conversations with our friends and families about the importance of marriage for same-sex couples.”
Mark Kende, director of Drake University’s Constitutional Law Center, told The Des Moines Register that Walker’s ruling sends a message to anti-gay marriage activists that, “if a constitutional amendment is passed in Iowa that it will be subject to the same kind of federal legal challenges that we saw in California and that there are chances for success.”
