On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court announced their decision regarding the constitutionality of a state law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. That decision makes Iowa the third state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry. Not just domestic partnerships (which is being pushed in my former home of Wisconsin) or civil unions as they have in Vermont but marriage.

Here's an excerpt from the unanimous Supreme Court decision:

"We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian
people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially
further any important governmental objective. The legislature has
excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a
supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally
sufficient justification. There is no material fact, genuinely in
dispute, that can affect this determination."

"We have a constitutional duty to ensure equal protection of
the law. Faithfulness to that duty requires us to hold Iowa’s
marriage statute, Iowa Code section 595.2, violates the Iowa
Constitution. To decide otherwise would be an abdication of our
constitutional duty. If gay and lesbian people must submit to
different treatment without an exceedingly persuasive justification,
they are deprived of the benefits of the principle of equal protection
upon which the rule of law is founded. Iowa Code section 595.2
denies gay and lesbian people the equal protection of the law
promised by the Iowa Constitution."

Opponents of equal rights immediately started lobbying the legislature to begin the process of amending the state constitution. The earliest voters could vote on a constitutional amendment would be 2012 - if the phobes are successful at getting two consecutive sessions of the legislature to pass it. Luckily for all the rest of us Democrats control both houses.

Congrats Iowa! And for all you folks looking to tie the knot, I heard you can plan a pretty cheap wedding in Dubuque.

No more bombs over Baghdad?
US Army General David Petraeus has said that there is no military solution to the problems in Iraq. General Petraeus is the second US Army General in charge in Iraq to determine that military induced-violence is not the answer that Iraq needs.

"There is no military solution to a problem like that in Iraq. Military action is necessary to help improve security... but it is not sufficient. There needs to be a political aspect...” said General Petraeus.

Perhaps now Congress can take action on the horrible mess that little Georgie got us into?

Will Iowa become the next state to include LGBT people into the state’s non-discrimination policy? “Our state’s civil rights code has a glaring omission – our LGBT community is not protected. We know that gays and lesbians are discriminated against in our society, and they currently have no recourse or protection under the law. This simply is unacceptable,” said the Lt. Governor Patty Judge. “Discrimination and intolerance have no place in our society, and that is why the Governor and I are supporting this simple, yet inclusive, change to our civil rights code.”

According to the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force there are currently 17 states that include sexual orientation in non-discrimination policies and only 9 also include gender identity and expression.