Iowa's Supreme Court Rules State's
Same-Sex Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional

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Iowa's highest court ruled that the state's marriage statute violates the Iowa Constitution's Equal Protection Clause by denying gay and lesbian same-sex couples the right to marry.

The court noted that, "except for the statutory restriction that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, the twelve plaintiffs met the legal requirements to marry in Iowa."

The court reasoned that the Iowa county which declined to issue marriage licenses to the gay and lesbian plaintiffs "offer[ed] no particular governmental reason underlying the tradition of limiting civil marriage to heterosexual couples." It also concluded that limited marriage to only heterosexual couples "is simply not substantially related to the objective of promoting the optimal environment to raise children."

Ultimately, the court reasoned, "the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective."

You can read the court's complete decision below: