Iowa same-sex marriage ruling stirs debate in Tennessee

By Juanita Cousins

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE — A court ruling striking down Iowa’s ban on same-sex marriage may not have much immediate impact in Tennessee, but it could be a sign of changing sentiments that could sweep into the state known as the buckle of the Bible Belt.

Gay rights advocates and social conservatives said the ruling stirs strong emotions, even if it doesn’t initially swing Tennessee. Voters in the state overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2006 that bans gay marriages. State law defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“This ruling will have no direct bearing on what is going on in Tennessee,” said Chris Sanders, president of the gay rights group Tennessee Equality Project. “How it will contribute is a critical mass of states will move to support marriage equality and eventually the federal courts will have to take up this matter.”

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a lower-court ruling that rejected a state law restricting marriage to a union between a man and woman. Now gays and lesbians may exchange vows as soon as April 24 following the landmark decision.

Opponents such as David Fowler, the former state senator who sponsored Tennessee’s gay marriage amendment, said he found Iowa’s ruling to be a “flabbergasting” decision that opposes the will of the majority.

“And it is not inconceivable that the marriage amendment in our state could be struck down as violating other constitutional rights,” said Fowler, president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee. “I find the ruling flabbergasting in that you are talking about the heartland of America and a decision in which there wasn’t event a dissent.”

Sanders said the issue may affect Tennessee over time as gay couples legally married in states like Iowa move to Southern states and fight to have their marriages recognized.

Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, pointed to changing attitudes across the United States.

“While the Iowa decision is not going to affect the abilities of lesbians and gays getting married in Tennessee, it is uplifting and quite exciting for those of us who are committed to extending the protection of lesbians and gays,” Weinburg said. “It is one more powerful statement of support that adds momentum to the ongoing effort to extend protections and rights to the LBGT community.”

A bill currently before the current Tennessee Legislature would ban adoptions by unwed couples. The bill was introduced without reference to sexual orientation of adoptive parents after Tennessee’s attorney general concluded in 2007 there was no legal basis in state law for a ban solely on gay couples adopting.

Supporters of the bill say it would place more children in traditional families. Critics see it as an attack against gays and say it would leave more children lingering in the state foster care system.