Des Moines — The lawsuit seeking to redefine marriage in Iowa will go before Polk County Judge Robert Hanson at 1:30 today at the Polk County Court House in Room 113. This is the first step in an effort subvert the legislative process and legalize same-sex marriage in Iowa through the courts.

“Iowans decided in 1998 through a deliberative legislative process to put into law the common sense definition of marriage, a union between one man and one woman, with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),” said Iowa Family Policy Center President Attorney Chuck Hurley. “This lawsuit seeks to ignore the will of the people, circumvent the legislative process, and asks one judge to redefine marriage for all Iowans.”

“This lawsuit is not about equal protection, it’s about forcing the beliefs of one group on all of Iowa,” said Hurley. “Homosexual couples can already gain many of the ‘rights’ necessary to care for each other without being married. Using legal instruments such as powers of attorney, wills, etc., homosexuals can share property, designate heirs, designate hospital visitors, and give authority for medical decisions.”

In December 2005, Lambda Legal filed suit against the Polk County Recorder for refusing to grant marriage licenses to six homosexual couples.

On April 6, 2007, Alliance Defense Fund, in cooperation with IFPC’s legal arm (Iowa Liberty and Justice Center), filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of 16 state lawmakers seeking to defend DOMA. Read the Brief