The ultra-conservative, right-wing Republican nest that is Iowa recently, somehow, has legalized gay marriage. On Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling that rejected a state law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The only chance that the reactionaries have is to go for a constitutional amendment, which can’t happen until 2012 at the earliest. According to political dinosaur Bryan English, spokesman for the Iowa Family Policy Center, “I would say the mood is one of mourning right now.” US Representative Steve King, R-Iowa, is supporting residency requirements for marriage, so gays and lesbians don’t descend on the heartland in droves, with their flannel shirts and great decorating tips. He fears that, without such requirements, Iowa could become “the gay marriage Mecca”.
The Gays Are Coming! The Gays Are Coming!
I can’t speak for the gays and lesbians here, but my guess is that any trip to Iowa would be only for the ceremony. Having exchanged their wedding rings, they will probably escape the Hawkeye State before their souls die, and before they are chased out by villagers bearing torches. Iowans need not worry that their state will be overrun with gays and lesbians for any great length of time, as gays are as likely to be accepted in Iowa as Sarah Palin would be at a GLAAD meeting.
And speaking of the prodigal Palins, it seems that Bristol Palin, after calling off her wedding to Baby-daddy Levi Johnston, has lost her ability to keep the lipstick on that pig. Levi did what any young man with a story to tell must do: go on the Tyra Banks Show. In his revealing interview, Levi explains that Bristol’s pregnancy resulted from some kind of “wardrobe malfunction”. This was either a poor choice of words, or great insight into how Alaskans Do It Better.
Sarah Palin, continuing to stop just short of claiming a virgin birth, issued a statement that, “Bristol’s focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence.” What’s that saying about shutting the barn door after the horse has already escaped?
It’s been a tough week for the Right Wing.