Politics & Government

Star of Viral Iowa Gay Marriage Video: Local Campaigns like Marion's 2011 Special Election Decide State of Marriage

Same-sex marriage advocate and Iowan Zach Wahls spoke to Marion Patch and locals at Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids about his story and the fate of same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Zach Wahls said he sees two years of trouble for same-sex-marriage: November’s election and the election in 2014.

The same-sex-marriage advocate from Iowa City said  special election in 2011 was a strong reminder that the Iowa Supreme Court decision that gave his two mothers the legal right to marry could have quickly disappeared. That single election had the power to swing the balance of power in Iowa squarely to Republicans and left the fate of same sex marriage in Iowa at their mercy.

"Local races — we often prognosticate about national races — but we forget that these things are decided in the community," Wahls said.

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Wahls was the feature speaker during a "Fellowship Forum" About Why Marriage Matters at Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday.

Wahls was made instantaneously famous when his speech to the Iowa House of Representatives was recorded, posted on YouTube and went viral. It was the most watched political video in 2011, according to YouTube.

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Since then he’s published a book, been interviewed on The Daily Show (and countless others) and has begun a 15-day speaking tour with One Iowa, a Des Moines-based nonprofit LGBT advocacy organization. He speaks about his story and the future of same-sex marriage.

Two Years

But let’s step back. Why the two-years comment?

That’s because if Democrats maintain their majority in the state senate, at the very least they can block a same-sex marriage ballot measure for the next four legislative sessions.

Because of Iowa law, if Republicans do pass a ballot measure after the fifth session it wouldn’t appear on the ballot until the fall of 2019.  

He said if the issue gets rejected that many times, it will be politically unfeasible for Republicans to continue.

"If we can make it through that, then there will be some champagne to be had," he said.

Future

His role in that process is to help spread support of same-sex-marriage by stirring conversations with Iowans, he said.

Courtney Rowe, a 30-year-old Cedar Rapids resident who attended the event, said his position as an accomplished, straight product of two lesbian parents can reach those skeptical of same-sex couples in ways no one can.

"One of the biggest arguments people make is, those poor children [of gay parents] are going to be crazy," she said. "When you get a nice upstanding man like Zach, who speaks very eloquently and poignant, you think: they couldn’t have screwed up too bad."

That’s the reason why One Iowa Executive Director Donna Red Wing, herself a lesbian, said she needed him for the cause.

"It is people like Zach Wahls who can open doors for us," she said. "Opened doors that we couldn’t ourselves."


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