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Emily Holley of One Iowa moderated a panel discussion Wednesday night at the Ottumwa Marriage Equality Forum at Indian Hills Community College. Panelists used their personal stories to underline their support for same-sex marriage in Iowa. Courier photo by Pat Shaver
Panel pushes equality
One Iowa hosts forum focusing on same-sex marriage issues
OTTUMWA — Tera Cunningham Erbst and Carey Erbst Cunningham have five children and experience the same joys of any other family.
Except as a same sex couple, they receive far fewer benefits than most other couples. Though they are allowed to marry in Iowa, there are many rights that they still don’t have because of federal laws.
“We believe that every committed couple, regardless of race, gender, religion, should have the right to marry whoever they want and have the responsibilities and protection of civil marriage,” Tera said.
The couple, of Ottumwa, were among the panelists at the Ottumwa Marriage Equality Public Forum hosted by One Iowa Wednesday evening at Indian Hills Community College. The other panelists were: Rev. Elizabeth Colton, with the St. Paul Congregational Church in Oskaloosa; Ian Bartrum, professor of constitutional law at Drake Law School; Sonya Hormann and Jenni Lathan-Hormann, one of the first same-sex couples to receive a marriage license in Wapello County. The event was moderated by Emily Holley with One Iowa.
One audience member asked the panel why not let the voters decide whether to allow same sex-marriages in Iowa?
“I didn’t have to vote to see if heterosexual couples should get married, so why should there be a vote on my marriage?” said Hormann.
“If a lot of things went to a ballot we would not have progressed in the area of civil rights,” Colton said.
“No matter what the decision may be there’s always going to be someone that’s not happy,” said Tera Cunningham Erbst.
Holley said other states like Maine and California have allowed same-sex marriage but ended up having a vote where the right to marry was taken away from same-sex couples. She said there is worry that something similar might happen in Iowa.
Bartrum said there are also people pushing for allowing exemptions for individuals and businesses that have sincere religious objection to same-sex marriages.
“In this state, the process has already started for some,” Holley said. There are groups funding campaigns opposing same-sex marriage and pushing for an amendment and a vote on the issue.
Colton said how marriage is viewed from a civil standpoint is not the same as from a religious standpoint.
“Civil marriage is a contract that is legally binding. Religious marriage is what we call a covenant; it’s a morally binding, sacred event [that’s] blessed by God,” she said. “I think it’s really helpful to keep that distinction when we’re talking about marriage equality.”
Colton is hopeful that her denomination in Oskaloosa decides that they will allow same sex marriages in their church. That decision has not yet been made, she said.
“When people come to me to get married, I care about their relationship between each other in the eyes of God,” Colton said. “What Jesus did all the time was to reach out to the people who were on the margins of society.”
Pat Shaver can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or by e-mail at p.shaver@ottumwacourier.com.
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