LGBT Iowans earned a historic victory April 3 when the Iowa Supreme Court handed down its unanimous decision declaring same-sex marriage legal in the state. Twenty-four days later, on April 27, same-sex couples from across the state were issued legal marriage licenses, officially making Iowa the first Midwestern state to do so.
In celebration of this victory, One Iowa, a grassroots organization that helped spearhead the campaign for marriage in that state, and Lambda Legal co-organized an Aug. 18 reception at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted, to toast their success and discuss what the LGBT community should work on in order to firmly secure same-sex marriage in Iowa.
“This is an event that reaches out to our friends and allies in the Chicago area to celebrate the decision made by the Iowa Supreme Court,” said Brad Clark, campaign director for One Iowa. “We want to continue to raise awareness about the fight for marriage in Iowa. It’s a fight that is nowhere close to being over, so we need the help of our friends from across the country to secure this victory.”
Despite the short time frame, organizers stated that they were “very pleased” by the number of people that came in support, especially the large number of walk-ins that showed up from as far away as California.
One passionate attendee, who came to the event from eastern Iowa, was Suzon Esser. Operator of the only strictly gay marriage-planning service in Iowa, Esser—also known as the “pride planner”—was more than happy to come and show her support for One Iowa’s work.
“It’s a fabulous organization,” Esser stated. “They have done so much for equal rights, it’s really great.”
Tuesday’s event was only part of One Iowa’s “History in the Heartland” campaign; another reception is planned for Thursday, Aug. 27, in Iowa City. Visit www.oneiowa.org for more information.