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5 April 2009
Iowa Approves Equal Marriage
Australian
marriage
equality
advocates
have
applauded
a
unanimous
court
decision
in the
mid-west
US state
of Iowa
allowing
same-sex
marriage.
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Tim McQuillan (left) of Ames, Iowa,
speaks to reporters outside the Iowa Supreme
Court. McQuillan is accompanied by his
husband, Sean.
Photo: Charlie Neibergall,
AP. |
Australian
Marriage
Equality
national
convener,
Peter
Furness,
said the
decision
puts the
Rudd
Government
under
greater
pressure
to
remove
discrimination
from the
Marriage
Act.
"If
traditionally-conservative
Iowa can
treat
same-sex
partners
equally
under
the law,
why not
Australia?",
Mr
Furness
asked.
"The
achievement
of
marriage
equality
in
Sweden
on
Wednesday
and then
Iowa
yesterday,
clearly
demonstrates
that the
trend is
towards
full
legal
equality
for
same-sex
couples."
"The
fact
that Mr
Rudd
refuses
to
address
this
issue,
or even
properly
explain
his
opposition
to
change,
is
embarrassing
for his
Government,
and
increasingly
embarrassing
for many
fair-minded
Australians."
Iowa
joins
two
other US
states,
Massachusetts
and
Connecticut,
in
allowing
same-sex
partners
to
marry.
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Photo: |
David Greedy,
Getty Images |
Earlier
this
week a
vote in
the
Swedish
Parliament
brought
the
total of
nations
which
allow
same-sex
marriage
to
seven.
The Iowa
Supreme
Court
decision
is
important
because
it is a
mid-western
state
where
opposition
to
same-sex
marriage
has
traditionally
been
pronounced,
because
the
decision
is
unlikely
to be
appealed
or overturned,
because
Iowa has
no
residency
requirements
for
couples
intending
to
marry,
and
because
the
State
Supreme
Court
explicitly
rejected
the
option
of a
civil
union
scheme.
According
to the
Iowa
Court "a
new
distinction
based on
sexual
orientation
would be
equally
suspect
and
difficult
to
square
with the
fundamental
principles
of equal
protection
embodied
in our
constitution."
Mr
Furness
said the
Iowa
court
has
confirmed
a
growing
trend
towards
the
rejection
of civil
unions
as a
substitute
for
equality
in
marriage.
"Civil
unions
do not
bring
equality,
they
perpetuate
inequality",
Mr
Furness
said.
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