DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug. 31, 2007
Iowa Gay Marriages On Hold
One Gay Couple Legally Marries Before Judge Stays Ruling On Same-Sex Marriage Ban
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Sean Fritz, left, and Tim McQuillan, center, exchange rings during their wedding ceremony as Rev. Mark Stringer, right, looks on in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 31, 2007. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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It was a narrow window of opportunity.
About 20 gay couples had applied for marriage licenses by 11 a.m., when the Polk County Recorder announced that she had been instructed to stop accepting the applications.
Recorder Julie Haggerty said the instruction came from the county attorney's office after Polk County Judge Robert Hanson, the same judge who threw out the ban, verbally issued a stay of his ruling at the county's request. Hanson told The Associated Press about an hour and half later that he had filed the written ruling.
Before the county stopped taking applications, one couple applied and then obtained a judge's waiver of Iowa's three-day waiting period for marriage licenses.
The men, Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan of Ames, then drove to the Des Moines home of the Rev. Mark Stringer, who quickly performed a wedding ceremony in his front yard.
"This is it. We're married. I love you," Fritz told McQuillan after the ceremony.
Stringer, a reverend at the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, performed the marriage a day after Hanson issued a decision that Iowa's ban on same-sex marriage violated the state's constitution.
The ruling applied only to Polk County, but Iowa law allows citizens to take out a marriage application in any county.
Stringer concluded the ceremony by saying, "This is a legal document, and you are married."
The men then kissed and hugged.
Less than an hour later, the county stopped accepting applications.
That morning, a stream of gay couples filed applications at the recorder's office.
Katy Farlow and Larissa Boeck, students at Iowa State University, said they got to the county recorder's office at 5 a.m., then sat in lawn chairs and ate snacks until the office opened at 7:30 a.m.
They wanted to file an application early out of fear a judge would grant a stay, stopping applications while Thursday's ruling is appealed.
"This might be our only chance," Farlow said. "We already knew we were spending the rest of our lives together."
The first couple to apply for a license was Gary Allen Seronko, 51, and David Curtis Rethmeier, 29, who did so Thursday afternoon.
"I started to cry because we so badly want to be able to be protected if something happens to one of us," Rethmeier said.
In Hanson's ruling, he ordered the Polk County recorder to issue marriage licenses to six gay couples who filed the lawsuit.
"This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation. I just cannot believe it."
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See all 249 CommentsI''d be willing to be my paycheck that he is a CLinton or Carter appointee.
it is amazing that you don''t have to walk around without a helmet on...
what does being gay have anything to do with being bad... look at all the straight relationships were the guy beats the girl...
please go back to you cave you trogladite...
it is apparent you live in the mid-west... were you mother is you sister and you wife...
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Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable.
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Leviticus 20:13 (Again it''s called: Detestable !)
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If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.
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Leviticus 20:13 (Folks engaged in homosexual, Immoral or adultery will NOT enter Heaven !)
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Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.
Like it or not, the ultimate and finale judge says its wrong and gave some stern warnings regarding practicing homosexuality and same six marriage
BTW: *** and lesbians are not attempting to destroy marriage, they are embracing it!
Republican congressemen are promoting "family values" and a gay marriage ban while getting service by hookers and trolling men''s restrooms for sexx.
Also, if you read the original script of the bible, leviticus and the other quoted passages have been misstranslated into English.
And, Jesus did not preach hate. He preached love. He hung out with the outcasts of society. They were his original followers and he loved them completely.
doesn''t they bible sy live they neighbour... and yet someone who follows they bible... also preaches racisum... ODD...
ready publications .. homosexuality was not the reason for HIV being brought to the Americas....
procration can be done in several fastions... one being artificial insemination... were they implant the sperm to the egg.. simple version of it...
and at least i am not a racist...
Yep. If two people are over 18 and aren''t related, they can do whatever the h3ll they want, it''s nobody''s business. Unfortunately, we are a nation of bizibodies, peering through the curtains at our neibors, tsk-tsk-ing at them. Live and let live is something few Americans believe in these days.
This judge did exactly what he was supposed to do. The judiciary branch was set up as part of the checks and balances in government. He said the law is unconstitutional. THAT IS HIS JOB. The legislative branch can''t just make up any law it wants to. Laws have to be constitutional, and if the judiciary reviews the law and says it is not constitutional it is obligated to say so.
'' ... when i was like six or seven, i was dancing in some field with a bunch of folk, and some girl was dancing through the crowd, claiming ''tax the world is feed the world'', and promising to rid the world of naked folk and ignorant folk and lazy profane blemished folk, and to replace all the free food and free medicine crowds with free gun and free bomb buttons, and, when she touched my hand, i felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and i''ve always wondered what happened to her ... i wonder if she''s still out there somewhere, trying to win ... i sooo hope so ... ''
lots of folk say they hate heteros and homos, but lots of folk say they don''t want to get chewed up and spit out and put back together by a dinosaur, but almost everyone has done it, and almost everyone will do it again
|Posted by gordon0403 at 12:21 PM : Aug 31, 2007
The bible was being rewritten centuries after Jesus died. People wrote the Bible and put there prejudices inside. Also what the difference between mythology and religion.
Posted by gordon0403 at 12:21 PM : Aug 31, 2007"
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Where exactly in the bible does God say this? Can you quote the source, instead of just claiming it? Also, did you actually witness God handing the Bible to someone? Can YOU prove that God actually said it, and not that some man wrote his own views into the book?
Before you flame me, I''m Christian. And I''m heterosexual. But, lets'' look at a direct quote from the article.....
"I can''t believe this is happening in Iowa," Rants said. "I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January," when the Legislature convenes.
So, what this Senator is saying is this. He''s going to spend MY taxes NOT on something important like Education or Health Care. He''s going to WASTE my money on whether to guys can get married????????
#&*()#%*( that. ANY Senator in any State who even debates this issue needs to be thrown out come the next Election. It''s a stupid issue that doesn''t do anything for the people of the State at all. GET OUR BUDGETS STRAIGHTENED OUT BEFORE YOU LOOK AT TRIVIAL BS ISSUES.
For those who want to flame me, I want you to seriously tell me how this issue is more important than Education, Health Care, Law Enforcement, and the other issues they should be discussing. THEN you can flame me.
Patrick.
"Considering it was a homosexual who infected this country with AIDS HIV which has caused the deaths of untold innocent individuals. How do you have the b.a.l.l.s to ask who is it hurting."
Your post blames "a homosexual" for AIDS in the U.S. Do you blame straight people for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.? Would that not be an unfair blaming of straight folks?
We are all human, whether homosexual or heterosexual. Do lighten up.
Right. And it goes to the states, the states say NO, and activist judges overturn the will of te people. See where this is going?
The one passage I never saw was " boil dirty water before you drink it." How many people would of be SAVED from that one.
If I show you exactly what you are asking, will you then denounce homosexuality? I suspect not. The issue isn''t even whether it is the Bible or not. Because even if God himself were to tell you he hated homosexuality, it wouldn''t change anything. The issue with the Bible is just a smokescreen.
Probably the only two g*a*ys in Iowa. They''ll be ''unmarried'' before you know it. And it won''t be recognized by any other state.
We are all human, whether homosexual or heterosexual. Do lighten up.
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Yes I do blame people who wantonly spread disease. But why don''t you ask the people who contracted HIV via blood transfusions to lighten up, how about the pregnant women who have contracted it via transfusions also passing it on to their unborn child. I am sure they would be happy to lighten up wouldn''t you.
Posted by IOWEIGN at 12:45 PM : Aug 31, 2007
Don''t ruin the fantasy. I''m thinking younger and dumber.
'''' ... she''''d let the dog free and the parrot too, and give up on having to feed the cats, and just hike away forever, but theres no get well feed world folk there, only get sick tax world: and theres nothing they wont do to keep her in her clothes and in her chair ... ''''
'''' ... lots of folk say they hate heteros and homos, but lots of folk say they dont want to get chewed up and spit out and put back together by a dinosaur, but almost everyone has done it, and almost everyone will do it again ... ''''
Posted by infidel_us at 12:44 PM : Aug 31, 2007
OH PLEASE! If and that''s a big IF, you can read without assistance get a copy of the Constitution and READ the 14th Amendment... "States Rights" do NOT exist and haven''t since the South got it''s butt kicked. Maybe you Toe Tappin Snake Oil Drinkers could find some OTHER way to hate... Try HATING those who are exporting American Jobs.
I''''d be willing to be my paycheck that he is a CLinton or Carter appointee.
Posted by infidel_us at 10:11 AM : Aug 31, 2007
Carter was gov of Georgia and Clinton was gov of Arkansas.
I don''t believe state county judges are appointed by Presidents. Yet !!
that is against Gods will and man is allowing it
just plain "Sick
Gay marriages is against Gods Will and man is allowing it... Sick plain sick...
Posted by olebd
Its spelled "polygamy."
But sure, why not? What possible difference could it make how consenting adults want to live their lives to any educated, emotionally stable person?
I''m quite happy with a standard family. I''m not about to ditch my wife of 30+ years and go live in a commune somewhere.
Nor do I feel there is any possibility that, if *** start marrying, I will suddenly develop a desire to take bubble baths with my hunting buddies.
The anti-Gay marriage crowd is just a bunch of people who are so conflicted about their own sexuality that they are terrified that opening up the world of possibilities will unleash their own inner demons.
Real men don''t have any doubts about themselves and therefore have no reason to ring themselves round with restrictive laws on consenting adults.
Is it any great surprise that we have seen one sexual scandal after another emanate from the very highest ranks of the party of "family values"?
What consenting adults do, as long as it causes no harm, is their own business. It does not mean that I support it...it just means that what they do is between them and their Maker.
Freedom of Association is a right of Americans-- it is a natural right--and it cuts both ways.
People should not be taxed differently or treated differently because they are married or not married, whether they have children or not. It is not the concern of the government.
Nobody has asked you to tolerate or accept anything. You can hate homosexuality all you want. It''s your place to make moral choices for yourself. It isn''t your place to make them for other people.
I''m a Christian and I interpret the Bible differently than you on this subject. I''m not challenging your intepretation or belief, but the refernces in Leviticus and elsewhere regarding homosexuality were not spoken by Jesus. The law as given by God to the Jews also mandated that lambs be slaughtered for Passover yet Jesus rejected the practice. Jesus never condemned or condoned homosexuality but did admonish us to love thy neighbor and to let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Jesus said that it doesn''t matter what goes into your mouth but what comes from your heart; w are supposed to love the sinner. How can you love your neighbor and deny them the happiness of being with the one who makes them happy?
Furthermore, If Sodom & Gomorrah''s destruction was God''s punishment for homosexual sin, why did God spare the bath houses of Rome?
I''m not trying to argue the Bible with you or make you defend your belief; I know we aren''t going to agree. It doesn''t matter because the Constitution is what guides the judge in interpreting the law for all Americans of all faiths, not the Bible.
YOUR interpretation of what YOUR God says does not and should not apply to everyone. Contrary to what you''ve obviously been told, our Founding Fathers were mostly NOT Christians, and this is not a "Christian Nation", nor will it ever be. Some of our Founding Fathers were Deists, some were Masons, some were members of various Protestant (i.e., wild, hippy, protester!) denominations. Thomas Jefferson even referred to certain sections of the Bible as "the ravings of a lunatic".
The point is: you don''t know what the Founding Fathers thought or would think, but one thing is absolutely clear: the Founding Fathers did not want to set up a Theocracy, and they mandated the separation of Church and State. Therefore, your narrow-minded superstitions are NOT an appropriate basis for determining the laws of the land.
If I think the government should keep its damnable nose out of my business then I have to concede the same right to be free of government interference to others whether I like what they do or not.
Outside of protecting people from violence and fraud the government has no business interfering in personal interactions.
Personally, I think it''s a very good idea to let homosexuals marry. They exist, whether you like it or not. They are human beings, whether you like it or not. They are productive members of society, working and paying taxes and serving society as doctors, lawyers, teachers, soldiers, construction workers, etc. -- whether you like it or not. The inability to marry and share property and inheritance has caused serious financial difficulty for many homosexuals, and it has created instability in their lives by discouraging long-term, committed relationships. This is not good for them, and it is not good for society. So, we should all encourage gay people to form committed relationships and marriage does just that.
For those of you who just blindly "hate ***", think of it this way: if they get married, they will be less likely to try to "subvert" your children into "choosing" to become gay. (Which isn''t the way it works, since one is born either gay or straight, but I know that I can''t convince you otherwise,)
PS. matter77, when you say, "scientists have determined", you really should have said, "lunatic fringe, pseudo-scientists have speculated", because that is a very warped interpretion of the actual data. There is no evidence that homosexuals are "genetically damaged and sick", but there is some evidence of a genetic basis for homosexuality. And that genetic basis further strengthens the case for allowing homosexuals to marry.
Posted by matter77 at 12:32 PM : Aug 31, 2007
Oh come on....Show me the article where "Scientists" state this and give that hypothesis, or is this just a case of something someone told you, or did you make this up? Back up you BS. Just because you say it don''t make it true.
marriage is not just a religious sacrament. It is recognized in law, and people of all religions, or no religion get married all the time. In fact the rate of civil weddings(performed by a justice of the peace or a judge) are on the rise, up to about 40% of all weddings in the USA as of 2001.
no law requires a church to perform same *** marriages, but at the same time they should prevent civil ceremonies for those who want it.
The legal system must view marriage as a contract between two people. That means 2 men, 2 women, 1 of each are equally protected. Religions interpret marriage as between a man and a woman. G*ays just want the same legal standing as any other couple. They are not forcing any religion to accept. That would be unconstitutional. The marriage contract is important for legal contracts, medical consents, property rights, or when a marriage dissolves. It is meant to protect both parties.
The founding fathers purposely separated the church from state because they had first hand knowledge of religious persecution. To those bloggers that don''t acknowledge that fact you need to actually go back and read the writings of Jefferson, etc. about their fears of a strong church-state relationship.
Iowa will not suffer the wrath of God, the plague, or 40 days or rain - by next year nobody but the few religious zealots and political opportunists will care. The Prophets for Profit will use this to rob their religious lemmings of their money. Life will go on.
The ''law'' OUGHT not be concerned with it or only so concerned as to ratify a pre-nup or contract rather than a silly little ceremony in a J-Ps office. This should be done with marriages as well. Agreements could be signed setting out the understanding prior to marriage and a choice made before hand for arbitration or some other form of adjudication for the inevitable divorce.
lets see most of the other progressive countries allow gay marriage... Italy, France, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Switzarland, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway and the list goes on...
wait.. lets see... these countries have more stable economies... better health care... better social services... better government... higher standard of living... lower crime rates per capita...
hummmmmm.... wow... i gues homosxuality doesn''t damage the fabric of society....
before you want to spit you hate on everyone... how about you do some research and get an education.
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