The linked story and associated video are worth watching. But what I’d like to do is place this current battle into a larger picture.

Here is some Iowa history concerning same-sex marriage. Iowa already had a local Defense of Marriage Act passed by their legislators which was struck down in 2005. and now they want to do it again? It easily passed the GOP run state house, but Mike Gronstal, a Democrat is vowing to not allow it to come up for a vote in the state senate.

“We never put people’s constitutional rights to a vote of the people in this state. I don’t think the constitution is the place to insert discrimination. I think it’s a document designed to guarantee people’s rights, not to take them away from them,” Gronstal said.

NOM and other groups are pushing to allow the Senate to vote on it. Interestingly, in states where Same-sex marriage has become law by Legislature action- in those cases, NOM is opposed to the legislature acting in that way. They want it both ways. Stop the legislature if they want to pass same-sex marriage, or urge on the legislature if they expect them to oppose same-sex marriage.

via Mike Gronstal Unfazed By Demands Of Iowa Gay Marriage Foes.