Midwest Marriage: Iowa’s gay stats released; NOM attacks in Minnesota as gays split on breakaway lawsuit [video]
”We’ve seen a lot of folks excited about being able to get married in a Midwestern state…. Most people have not been rushing into it. They’re taking their time and taking it very seriously.”
Justin Uebelhor of One Iowa on the newly released numbers that details the marriages in that state from April 27, 2009 through March 31, 2010. The Iowa Department of Public Health‘s statistics show that 10% of the marriages were same gender and 84% were heterosexual (5% gender not recorded). Of the 2020 same-sex marriages recorded, 36% were male, 64% female. And only 40% of the same-sex marriages were residents of Iowa. The other 60% were from other states — mainly Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska. (Iowa Independent) (Des Moines Register)
”Today, everywhere we go we have to have a big file of documents with us, living wills, powers of attorney. It’s a burden on a daily basis to not have the assumption we are married. … I’m getting older. If not now, then when? When I’m dead?”
Tom Trisko who is part of a 3-couple lawsuit in Minnesota. He seeks to marry his partner of 40 years, John Rittman. Another plaintiff, Doug Benson, says Minnesota’s “Defense of Marriage Act” was passed illegally, “in violation of the single subject rule,” because it was attached to an unrelated bill. (Minnesota Independent)
”It seems entirely possible what they’ll end up doing is reaffirming and refreshing a ruling that’s been fading for the last few years.”
Phil Duran of OutFront Minnesota expressing his dismay at the current lawsuit being pursued by three gay couples who wish to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriages on a Constitutional technicality. According to this AP report, Duran’s group and another are seeking marriage via legislative approval. However, the state’s current Governor, Tim Pawlenty, is terribly opposed to equality for gay couples. Just this week, Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would allow same-sex domestic partners to claim a loved ones body or the right to bring forward wrongful death lawsuits. Either way, the national anti-gay group NOM is attacking equality efforts through newly launched political attack ads. (Associated Press via Mydesert.com)
”NOM sees Minnesota as the next key battleground state in the fight to preserve marriage in America…. Many Minnesotans are unaware that special interest groups are working to convince activist judges and DFL lawmakers to redefine marriage in the state.”
Brian Brown the newly promoted President of the National Organization for Marriage, probably the worst of all anti-gay marriage groups, on their reasons for targeting Minnesotans for another round of hateful, fear mongering television advertisements. Their best tactic to date has been to push for referendums in places like California and Maine where they successfully help to rescind legally recognized gay marriages by slim margins. Their latest $200,000 ad buy goes after several Democratic-Farmer-Labor members running for Governor — Matt Entenza, Tom Horner, Mark Dayton, and Margaret Anderson-Kelliher. The ad ends with, “Thirty-one states have voted to protect marriage, and Minnesotans deserve the same right. Let the People Vote.” While Brown and Maggie Gallagher of NOM tried to influence politics here in DC — adding to a poisonous atmosphere of race and religion vs. gay civil rights — they failed miserably in the end to stop the City Council, Mayor Fenty, and many other government officials from legalizing same-sex marriage this past March. (Minnesota Independent)
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