Saturday, September 12, 2009

Gay Marriage in Iowa -- Guess what? The sky hasn't fallen

Nice story from the KC Star:

The wedding and accompanying legal certificate will not matter to Wayland’s home state of Missouri — nor to any of Iowa’s neighbor states.

Yet from those states hundreds of couples have funneled into Hawkeye country, with open checkbooks, for same-sex nuptials.

“It mattered for us to be able to choose a place in the Midwest that felt like home,” Wayland said.

It mattered, also, to the silver-haired owners of the Brass Lantern, Terry and Margie Moore. Ordained ministers who had never officiated a same-sex wedding, they hope to keep their romantic-getaway business going by welcoming couples of all kinds.

Across Iowa, a growing network of wedding planners, caterers, florists, photographers and even local chambers of commerce are with them.


But it's a small victory, a nice victory, a quiet victory. Gay people are not flocking to Iowa because, well, it's Iowa. That's not a slam, it's just the same reason other people don't flock here. But many are coming, having ceremonies and spending about $2,500 a pop. Over time, not bad. And, over time, not changing. A small bit of tolerance and decency winning against the loud, bullshit, tide.

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