PhoboQuoteable: IA Bigot Lawmaker Panicked Iowa Will be the 'Gay Marriage Mecca'

[furrbear]

From Towleroad:

Iowa Rep. Steve King (R-Kiron) released a panicked statement following the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous ruling earlier today which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. King is panicked that Iowa is going to become "the gay marriage Mecca" and wants several obstacles drafted immediately.

Wrote King:

“This is an unconstitutional ruling and another example of activist judges molding the Constitution to achieve their personal political ends. Iowa law says that marriage is between one man and one woman. If judges believe the Iowa legislature should grant same sex marriage, they should resign from their positions and run for office, not legislate from the bench.

“Now it is the Iowa legislature’s responsibility to pass the Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, clarifying that marriage is between one man and one woman, to give the power that the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself back to the people of Iowa. Along with a constitutional amendment, the legislature must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering.”

Think Progress posts a long list of King's record of bigotry.

Unfortunately for King the leaders of the Iowa legislature are fully behind the decision as evidenced by the dual statement from House Speaker Pat Murphy and Senate Majority leader Mike Gronstal earlier today.

Another thing that should be noted. The judge who wrote the opinion in the case was appointed by conservative Republican Governor Terry Brandstad.

It seems Republicans are behind most of the major favorable same-sex marriage decisions in recent history.

I thought Republicans liked business, especially small business. Doesn't he get the beneficial economic impact? Couples from all over the midwest going to Iowa, spending LOTS of money getting married.

Guess he's just a phobic bigot.

Comments

[popebuck1.livejournal.com]

Jeez, isn't anyone noticing how Massachusetts has had marriage equality for a few YEARS now, and hasn't fallen into the ocean or anything? People still aren't marrying their dogs and cats, incest and polygamy are still frowned upon, and the Republic has survived.

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

I have lived in San Francisco, in San José, in Houston, in Washington D.C., in Germany, and in the Iowa City area and suburbs. Speaking as an Iowan, I think the lawmaker is exactly correct: Iowa will become a Mecca for gay marriage.

If you want a quiet world where your neighbors know you and families are strongly supported, both culturally and by law — if you want a world where it’s safe to let your kids walk to school or bike across the city — if you want a world that’s damn near ideal for raising children — then you want to be in Iowa City. Doesn’t much matter whether you’re straight or gay.

I think the fact Iowa will become a Mecca for gay marriage is something that Iowa ought be proud of, not ashamed of. Iowa is a good place for families.

If you’re interested in the perspective of a gay man living in Iowa City, talk to ti94. He’s an old friend of mine, and may have some interesting insights.

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Iowa becoming a mecca for Gay Marriage. There are very good sized gay communities they can attract couples from: Kansas City, MO; Minneapolis/St.Paul; Chicago; Milwaukee and Madison. I was writing from the perspective of couples going to Iowa to get married and going home, but I see nothing wrong with those who wish to stay in Iowa. It's a wonderfully pragmatic progressive state from what I've seen.

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

One of the historical trends that has always amazed me is just how closely negative human rights (rights that forbid the government from doing things, as opposed to positive human rights which obligate the government to do things) correlate with economic prosperity. During the Late Middle Ages when the King of Spain exiled the Jews, many of them traveled to Constantinople, where the Ottoman Empire had promised to let them practice their religion in peace. The leaders of the Jews spoke highly of the king who exiled them — probably more to avoid seeming like they were talking trash about their former monarch — and the Turkish ruler interrupted them. “Why do you speak so highly of this king’s wisdom, who impoverishes his land and enriches my own?”

Constantinople was an economic powerhouse for centuries thereafter.

Likewise with the United States. The Protestant work ethic, often derided, is an almost uniquely American phenomenon. It took root in America because America allowed those religious heretics a land in which they could practice their Calvinism freely.

I wonder what this will do for Iowa. It may mean gays come to Iowa and then leave — but it’s also quite possible that gays will come to Iowa, see how low the home prices are and how welcoming the community is, decide to live there, and lead into an economic renaissance.

ghodamus is another Iowa City resident (although not gay) who has something worth reading on the matter.

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

I agree. I am from South Dakota originally ... but spent six years in Ames for college and graduate school. Considering that it borders SD, the difference in politics, tolerance and on & on in Iowa was amazing.

I would add Ames and DSM (the Beaverdale/Roosevelt HS and South DSM/Hoover High areas) to your list of really pleasant urban areas to consider ... and Grinell as an amazing small town.

In this statement from gay state senator McCoy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmaHqDHTyC8), he plugs Iowa as a great place to live and work. That's so cool.

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

I am also a South Dakotan but I strongly disagree with your assessment of the situation. The urban areas may favor such a move but you have a wide berth of conservatism and religious underbearings taht will trample this into the ground.

I wish the good people of Iowa much luck in keeping sane but even now the wooden shoes of the NW Iowa area are starting to march.

The term "blood bath" comes to mind.

[envirobear.livejournal.com]

It's hard to get good traction in wooden shoes. And it looks like NW Iowa only has 20% (or less) of the population, compared to the "urban" areas of Des Moines, Ames, and Waterloo.

I grew up in the rural farmlands of central lower Michigan...farmers aren't activists unless it comes down to their livelihoods, because they've got too much time-sensitive stuff to do as it stands; unless they belong to a fundamentalist church that teaches them that it's more important to follow their preacher's instructions (without question) than it is to feed their families, they aren't going to be foaming at the mouths, looking for the blood of a unanimous set of judges who said "THIS IS THE LAW." And farmers, by and large, are law-abiding pragmatic people.

I think that John and Joe are pretty much on-target; both of them have lived in a number of different places within a wide range of social contexts, and I think that they understand human nature very well as a result--neither of them are looking at this through rose-colored glasses, nor are they wild-eyed subversive activists pushing a "homosexual agenda" that seems to be widely-known ONLY to the wild-eyed activist right-wingers who keep showing their ignorance--and total lack of understanding of what it really means to be Christ-like--at every possible turn. That all being said, I think that YOU, blt4success66, see all of this from the perspective of someone who has embraced ONE socio-religious tradition, ONE small part of the country with no real diversity of people or thought, ONE way of "living morally" for most of your life. And I think that because that's all you've experienced, you honestly don't believe that anything could possibly be different. That is not intended to be offensive, nor is it intended to belittle you...it's a statement of fact that people like John and Joe don't look at this things from the perspective of urban/urbane gay men from DFW/Orange Co. CA/St. Louis/Denver/Palm Springs/San Diego, they are informed about what they're talking of because they've *experienced* life as this affects them directly, and they know the mindsets involved.

Do I think the right-wing fundies will take this without complaint? Absolutely not. But they can't do anything about it like they've done elsewhere. And after 3 years of seeing that this has done nothing to the institution of marriage but let RESPONSIBLE adults marry (a darn sight better than society having to pick up the pieces of marriages and families that fail because expectations don't meet reality), Farmer Jones will do what's fair and right on his own.

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Well I won't lie, I took offense at your comment until I read that you said it wasn't meant to be offensive or belittling, then everything was fine.

I have to admit I carry an immense amount of skepticism about this decision. I took time to read the Constitution of Iowa and it is, indeed, hard to amend but you and I both know there are other ways to proverbially skin the cat. This decision will not end with the state's supreme court. Inevitably the Supreme Court of the US will have to rule on this as it has on abortion and civil rights. It may come directly from Iowa's ruling, but it will happen.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.

[joebehrsandiego.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with Dean here, on the reality of rural life on the ground and the perspective that living around the (western) U.S. - and spending a lot of time in suburban D.C., where my sister lives - has given me. You have the prerogative to say that doesn't make me more informed, of course. :>)

Christian conservatives are often very noisy. But they are a small % of IA's population ... and I would bet an even smaller % of the active, go-to-polls electorate, much as their leaders would disagree.

The IA legislature is heavily Democratic. IA voted almost 60-40 for Obama. Those are objective facts - not perceptions - for you or anyone else,

You might find this youtube clip heartening, or at least interesting. Dean: I *know* you will, my friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2s2R5qKhbo

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Joe. I watched this clip earlier. It made me smile.

I had already had an lengthy IM exchange on this, and wasn't going to wade again back into the fray with Paul on his opinion on this.

Perhaps Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal words will further convince the nay sayers that an amendment just ain't gonna happen any time soon.

[blt4success66.livejournal.com]

Interesting link and very promising but there is a lot of skepticism, even from friends in Iowa. They are hopeful and even giddy...I just hope it stays that way.

[jkusters]

He keeps using this word, "unconstitutional." I do not think he knows what it means...

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

“This is an unconstitutional ruling and another example of activist judges molding the Constitution to achieve their personal political ends..."

It never ceases to amaze me that people can get elected to work in a political system that they obviously don't understand. This guy sounds like so many other state senators and house members who just didn't pay attention in junior high when the three branches of government were explained.

I had a very animated discussion a few years ago with my state senator, who failed to understand that we live in a republic and not a democracy - where "majority rules" is NOT the law of the land. That's why we have the courts - so that the tyranny of the majority will not be suffered by any minority.

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Scary, innit?

I mean, deciding if a law passed by the legislature is in accord with the relevant Constitution is what Supreme Courts DO. It's not "judicial tyrrany" for them to strike down a law that doesn't pass Constitutional muster - it's their job.

If we went by "majority rule" - it might still be illegal for a black and a white person to get married, as Loving v. Virginia was extremely unpopular when it was handed down. But it was the right thing to do, as no one sane would question in retrospect.

[hwynym.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

There were always conservatives that would try to get away with usurping power that belonged to another branch of government, but at least they KNEW that they were usurping it. The current crop seems to have not a fucking clue about what eash branch is supposed to do and they never heard the words "checks and balances" in history class, apparently.

[envirobear.livejournal.com]

More fundamentally, those idiots like to fling around a misinterpretation of the meaning of "unconstitutional": to the majority of us, it means that the courts (the branch with the designated role in deciding things like this) determined that a law is inconsistent with the principles, rights, and protections laid out in the underlying constitution...to THEM it means that they just don't agree with it, usually because it means they would have less control over other people.

[musicbearmn.livejournal.com]

Rep. King is the Michelle Bachman of Iowa. I remember when he got elected. Totally out of touch with reality.