Gay Iowans Say 'I Do'

Cover your ears, Miss California. Starting today, same-sex couples in Iowa are able to apply for marriage licenses. After the Iowa Supreme Court’s surprising and unanimous ruling earlier this month that barring same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, many couples have been waiting for this historic day. Iowa is now the third state after Massachusetts and Vermont to allow gay marriage, although the unions are only valid legally in the three states. The ruling did not come without opposition—at least one district magistrate said he would stop performing all marriages, reports USA Today. State senator Merlin Bartz also unsuccessfully proposed a “conscience clause” that would allow county recorders to avoid granting licenses if it violated their beliefs.