Gay Marriage

Disclaimer - These are my personal views.  I know that people have different opinions and I respect that.  I just ask that others respect my opinion as well. 

The Iowa Supreme Court has set a date for oral arguments on the issue of gay marriage in Iowa.  Last year a judge in Polk County (Des Moines) ruled that the prohibition of gay marriage in Iowa was unconstitutional under Iowa law.  Of course the case was immediately sent for review to the Iowa Supreme Court.  Before a stay of the ruling took effect one couple, two ISU students, were able to be officially married.  The court should rule sometime in 2009. 

My partner Matt and I have been together for nearly 13 years.  I would like nothing more than to be able to marry him legally.  Presently, California and Massachusetts do have gay marriage (Californias - vote No on 8!).  We've talked about going to either one of those states if the ISC rules against the issue, but there is a BIG part of me that wants to be married in Iowa.

The arguments against gay marriage just don't hold any water to me.  

• God says that it's wrong in the Bible.  First of all God didn't write the Bible.  Men wrote the Bible and it has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the course of 2,000 years, going from Aramaic through Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and other languages, so meanings of words or phrases in one language can translate completely differently in another. In addition, the Bible was partially put together by the Councils of Rome and Trent. There were books left out (see the Apocrypha).  I understand that the Bible has deep meanings for many people and that it is often used for guidance.  What bothers me is when people look to the Bible to do their thinking for them.  
• Marriage is for procreation - Are you kidding me?  We have 6 billion people in the world and we need more?  So where is the requirement that heterosexual couples must have children?  Why are couples that are clearly past child-bearing age allowed to marry?  
• It will bring down society (or the end of the world, or whatever).  This same argument was used to justify the ban on inter-racial marriages.  Guess what, the world is still here and guess who wouldn't be running for president if that ban were still in effect!  Last time I checked, Massachusetts and California, not to mention Canada, the Netherlands and Spain were still around as well.  
• It will lead to people being able to marry multiple people, animals, or kids.  Are you kidding me?  This is blatant fear mongering (how Republican of them).  Nothing seems to motivate more than the "fear" of something happening.  Instead of coming up with logical arguments, opponents use the "well if you let this happen, then think of all these bad things that will happen."  Ugh!

It just frustrates me to see heterosexual couples meet and get married in the blink of an eye, while my relationship with my partner of 13 years is not eligible to be recognized in the eyes of the state and entitled to the benefits that married couples receive.  We're ready to go to either coast to get hitched, I just hope that we can have both the wedding and reception here in Iowa with our family and friends around us.