In Iowa, bride and groom could be Party A and Party B

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

BY ELIZABETH AHLIN

Brides and grooms could become "Party A" and "Party B" under new marriage license applications and certificate of marriage forms released Friday by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The forms were changed to be gender neutral in an effort to comply with the April 3 Iowa Supreme Court decision that effectively legalized same-sex marriage.

The decision overturned a 1998 state law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples.



County recorders plan to begin processing marriage applications from gay and lesbian couples on April 27, when the Supreme Court is expected to issue a procedendo putting the ruling into effect.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10612611

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Also see: Iowa counties told they must issue same-sex marriage licenses

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10612523

Published Friday April 17, 2009
Iowa counties told they must issue same-sex marriage licenses

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state official has sent notices to Iowa’s 99 county recorders telling them they must comply with a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling that legalizes gay marriage.

The note, sent to recorders by Victoria Hutton of the Iowa Department of Public Health, comes after reports of discontent among some county recorders who have contemplated refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

“All county recorders in the state of Iowa are required to comply with the Varnum decision and to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples in the same manner as licenses issued to opposite gender applicants,’’ said the note sent Thursday.

The decision takes effect April 27 and same-sex couples can begin applying for marriage licenses that day.

Under state law, county recorders risk being fired if they don’t comply with the ruling.

Wayne County Recorder Angela Horton said the decision puts some recorders in a “very, very difficult position.’’

FULL story at link.

[tomm2thumbs]

1. I love a PARTY!!!! And 2 is better than one!

I probably would have just said 'applicant' but party on!

[xchrom]

2. yeah -- i don't know why it didn't say applicant.

i can hear the 'party a' thingy already.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. plus it puts one in essence above the other to have pecking order a and b

if they use 'party' it should probably be 'one party' and 'one party'

[jmowreader]

4. I like the part about both Party A and Party B being able to choose their married surname

So if neither Party A nor Party B liked their current last name--the husband was the son of the biggest scumbag in town and wanted to make a clean break from his past, say--they can choose a completely new name? Well, I like that one...why should women be the only ones to be able to discard a name they don't really like? (Every one of my sisters said the exact same thing when they got married: "No one's going to ask me how to pronounce my last name ever again!" Our family name is pronounced EXACTLY like it's spelled, but only about 10 percent of all Americans will try it.)