Celebrating Windsor and Varnum

A year ago today, the United States Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Windsor that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. Since then, 22 consecutive federal and state courts have overturned bans on marriage equality. Even more recently, the 10th Circuit ruled that states couldn’t ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples, pushing the issue of marriage equality even closer to the Supreme Court. 

Five years ago, Iowa helped lead the nation when the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of marriage for gay and lesbian couples. This was a decision that ultimately cost three fair and competent judges their jobs. But it was nonetheless the right thing to do—a decision that ultimately guided the rest of the country toward equality.

We know the tide is turning. A majority of Americans now favor the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. Five years ago, that wasn’t the case. But by sharing our personal stories, we’ve helped change hearts and minds all across the country. Marriage equality is not a political issue—it’s about families and treating people with respect and dignity.

Edie Windsor, a fearless advocate for equality, has also had a profound influence on shaping the conversation around marriage equality. Edie and her partner Thea legally married in Canada in 2007. They returned to their home in New York, happily married at last after decades of living together. Two years later in 2009—the same year the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality—Thea passed away, leaving her entire estate to Edie. When Edie went to claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses, she was banned from doing so because of DOMA, and told that she owed $363,053 in estate taxes.

Edie’s story went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, a court that said DOMA “violates basic due process and equal protection principles applicable to the Federal Government.” In essence, the U.S. Supreme Court made a judgment call—that all people should be treated equal under the law no matter who they are, no matter whom they love.

Our LGBT brothers and sisters are no different—we are your friends, your family members, your co-workers, your neighbors and the people you go to worship with. Like Edie, we all have extraordinary stories to share. By telling these stories, we are making history in our own right. The grandfather who reluctantly attends his grandson’s wedding to another man, showing his support for the first time. The church pastor who is able to marry his daughter and her partner because his state and his church say it is legal. The gay couple that is able to provide the protection their family needs because they finally have a marriage certificate that says they’re just like everyone else.

As we celebrate the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA, and 5 years of marriage in Iowa, don’t forget to share your story with the rest of the world. Because when we all come together, we can truly make a difference that will have a lasting impact for years to come.