Quotes & Comments

As they say during the presidential caucuses, ‘As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.’
— Richard Socarides, a former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay civil rights, after the Iowa Supreme Court overturned on Friday a ban on same-sex marriage.

Last Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court granted full civil rights to the citizens of the Hawkeye state when same-sex couples were granted the right to marry, citing the unconstitutional action of ruling otherwise.

The decision made a ground-breaking statement across the country: gay marriage is no longer a coastal phenomenon, it can and will exist in the heartland. Iowa joins New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut as the only states that allow gay marriage.

The event presents a promising and hopeful moment for our time.

Last year, the California Supreme Court made a similar ruling. The Republican-led court deemed it unconstitutional to discriminate against gay citizens in any way, including the denial of marriage
Unfortunately, for both the citizens of California and the integrity of our nation, Californians passed Proposition 8 on Nov. 4, which created a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
It was the first time a popular vote revoked the civil rights of a specific group of people.

The status of the 18,000 marriages issued between the Supreme Court decision and the passage of Proposition 8 is currently pending.
Iowa, on the other hand, is another story. Unlike California, the constitution of the State of Iowa cannot be amended by a vote of the people. Instead, both houses of legislation must approve the ruling.

While the Iowa ruling presents a bright moment amidst a few dismal months for the gay rights movement, there is still much to be done.

The real obstacle that stands in the way of civil rights is, and has always been, fear. Plain and simple. Whether it’s the fear ignited by religion, the fear of change or the fear of someone or something different than the societal norm, the power of fear, especially fear in numbers, poses the biggest threat to the civil rights of all American citizens.

Since Proposal 8 was passed in November, a question has been gnawing at me insistently. When the inevitable occurs and all gay citizens are finally granted their full civil rights, who will the fundamentalists, racists, sexists and homophobes turn their attention to next?
It could be you.

— Chris Kato
Arts Editor

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=5446

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Apr 5 2009. Filed under Opinion, Quotes & Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com