Iowa Republicans Propose Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage – Is LGBTQ+ Equality Under Threat?

Eight Iowa Republican lawmakers have recently introduced a bill proposing a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in the state. The bill, known as House Joint Resolution 8, would define marriage as a union between a human biological male and a human biological female.

However, for the amendment to be added to the Iowa Constitution, it must first pass both the House and the Senate, and then pass through the Legislature again during the next General Assembly. If it passes all these stages, it will then be put to a public vote, either in 2025 or 2026.

Although Iowa was one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage in 2009, it appears unlikely that this bill will pass. A majority of Iowans have supported gay marriage since 2014, and this number is only likely to have increased since then. It is worth noting that Iowa’s legalization of gay marriage made it the third state to do so after a unanimous ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court.

This bill is one of several proposed by Iowa Republicans targeting the LGBTQ+ community, which is unprecedented. With such bills, they seek to impose their conservative values and beliefs on society. However, history has shown that these bills often fail and reflect a deeper divide within the state.