First, the Iowa Supreme Court struck down that state's statutory ban on same-sex marriage on April 2.Next, on April 5, the Vermont house and senate passed legislation, overriding the governor's veto, to allow same-sex marriage.
Check out today's New York Times article on the move toward equality flowing through Iowa, Vermont, and beyond.
Just for a bit more fodder, consider how the cultural definition of marriage is shifting, as discussed in this article from Slate.com. In looking at how various dictionaries have expanded their definitions of marriage, the article comments:
[F]or those judges who are open to the notion that statutory and constitutional meaning can change over time, the dictionary acceptance of same-sex marriage will offer evidence of a shift in public views. Instead of fending off or ignoring the dictionary, gay advocates will be able to cite the new editions in their briefs. The new entries in Webster's, Black's, and soon the OED signal that the idea of same-sex marriage has come of age. The Supreme Court cited an "emerging awareness" that gay people shouldn't be treated like criminals in striking down remaining state sodomy laws in 2003. Now the dictionaries herald the same kind of "emerging awareness" about gay marriage.
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