Want to be a part of history?

This October, LGBT Iowans from across the state will gather in Des Moines to celebrate a momentous year for equality in Iowa. As part of your Capital City PRIDE plans, One Iowa invites you to join us for the 1st annual One Iowa Leadership Summit. At the summit, LGBT Iowans from across the state will gather to discuss the past year’s victories and lay the groundwork for additional gains in 2009.

One Iowa Leadership Summit
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Des Moines Public Library
1000 Grand Ave.
9 AM - 4 PM (lunch provided)
$10 Registration fee — Register now!

Planning for the summit is well-underway and we expect to have many of our national partners and state leaders on tap to share their insight, including PFLAG National, GLAAD, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

At the 2008 Leadership Summit, attendees can expect a big-picture overview of what it will take to achieve full equality in Iowa. Here’s what you can expect:

• Insight into the political and legal strategies that will lead to marriage equality in Iowa.
• Tips for engaging Iowans in your own communities, ranging from personal outreach to earning positive media coverage in your community.
• Opportunities to network with other LGBT Iowans and leaders across the state.
• Update on One Iowa’s programs, including our marriage equality campaign, statewide steering committees, and PFLAG organizing efforts across Iowa.
• Details on how you can help out and join One Iowa’s efforts.

Sponsors of the summit include Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, PFLAG, and GLAAD.

2009 looks to be a crucial turning point for LGBT equality in Iowa. At the One Iowa Leadership Summit, we’ll lay the groundwork for success. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be a part of history! Register today to save your spot!

- One Iowa Team

P.S. For those traveling from across the state, we’ve arranged discount hotel reservations at a group rate through the Hotel Ft. Des Moines. For reservations, please call the Hotel Ft. Des Moines directly at 1-800-532-1466 and reference One Iowa. Limited space is available, so book your rooms today!

We are 90 days away from what may prove to be the most critical election of our time. Make no mistake; equality is on the line as voters make their way to the ballot box this November. Anti-gay groups and candidates are mobilizing for victory this fall. We must be ready to stand in their way!

Can we count on you to help out? In the weeks leading up to the election, we hope you’ll help elect fair-minded officials across the state. Success this November depends on individuals like you making a commitment to get involved. Read the rest of this entry »

Join One Iowa for this month’s happy hour!

Wednesday, August, 27
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Grand Piano Bistro
506 E. Grand Ave.,
Des Moines, IA

Join One Iowa for a fun-filled Friday! Light Appetizers and Sangria will be served. Refreshments are complimentary. There will also be bottles of water available.

Friday, August 15:
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Midtown Heights
Townhouses
2100 High Street, Des Moines

Sioux City residents, Chuck Swaggerty and Jason Morgan shared their story with the Sioux City Journal. The couple is one of the plaintiffs in Lambda Legal’s Varnum v. Brien case that has been appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

From the Sioux City Journal:

Sioux City couple at center of gay marriage debate
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer

SIOUX CITY — On a late July evening, the parents bathe their two children, putting them into pajamas just before 8 p.m.

The couple then spend time playing with their boys, talking a bit about how exhausting parenting can be and how parenthood limits the trips away they can take.

One leans over to help 1-year-old Reed blow his nose while the other rolls a ball with Ta’John, age 3. Ta’John, they say, will invariably come down from his upstairs bedroom five times nightly before finally falling asleep.

It’s an otherwise ordinary life filled with laundry, work on the house and lawn and dining at home on chicken and rice.

Yet, in the eyes of many, the family forged by Chuck and Jason is anything but ordinary. While their home life may be “boring,” the two are also the plaintiffs Swaggerty and Morgan in a groundbreaking gay marriage case making its way through the Iowa court system.

Read the complete article over at the Sioux City Journal.

For more information on the marriage case, check out One Iowa’s marriage resources.

One Iowa is a co-sponsor for this year’s Pride Ride. Here are the new event details as provided by Capital City Pride:

PRIDE RIDE 2008 RESCHEDULED: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2008

August, 8, 2008, Des Moines, Iowa – Capital City Pride announces that the annual Pride Ride 2008 has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday, September 13th at 10 am at Saylorville Lake – Cherry Glen #1. Proceeds from the 2-mile, 20-mile, and 40-mile rides benefit the LGBT Community Center of Central Iowa (LGBTCC) and Capital City Pride. This annual bike ride typically takes place in June, however, was postponed to September this year due to flooding.

We welcome everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, who wishes to join us and show support!

Register online by September 1, 2008, and receive a moisture-control Pride Ride 2008 shirt.  To register, go to: www.capitalcitypride.org.

For additional information, contact Stacy Berenguel or visit www.capitalcitypride.org.

ABOUT - LGBTCC organizes and maintains resources to promote the well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons, nurture their families and relationships, and increase understanding of the LGBT community of Central Iowa. Capital City Pride promotes acceptance, tolerance, and understanding of the LGBT community through education, programming, and visibility.

Dear Friends,

You are invited to One Iowa’s “Coffee House/Happy Hour” at Ritual Cafe, a time to meet like-minded friends and relax in a welcoming atmosphere. If you have never attended, the Happy Hour crowd will put you right at ease. If you are a regular or have attended in the past, we want you to come see how we have grown!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 5:00-6:45pm
Ritual Cafe - 13th Street in Des Moines Read the rest of this entry »