Proponents Of Anti-Same Sex Marriage Constitutional Amendment Rally In Iowa State Capital; Reverend Ratliff Decries Comparisons Between Gay Rights And Civil Rights And Says “Deviant Behaviour Not The Same As Being Denied Right To Vote”

The Des Moines Register reports that an estimated 500 supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage rallied Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol. The Republican-led House has approved House Joint Resolution 6, authorizing a state-wide ballot question on a marriage amendment. But the measure has stalled in the Democrat-led Senate, where Majority Leader Michael Gronstal (Democrat-Council Bluffs) has vowed to block it on grounds it would be writing discrimination into Iowa's Constitution. Anti-gay activists hoped Tuesday's event will help spur Senate support for the amendment. The hour-long rally drew an enthusiastic crowd from throughout the state decked out in red shirts and jackets, the color used by LUV Iowa, a group backing the amendment. Some carried signs, such as Man + Woman = Marriage and God is not a Liar, and shouted, Amen, in agreement with the event's speakers. A small number of protesters stood close, holding signs bearing messages such as "Support all marriage" and "An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Less than 30 minutes later, about 60 supporters of gay marriage, many dressed in blue, buttonholed House and Senate members inside the Capitol rotunda, asking them to respect the rights of all Iowans. Pastor Cary Gordon of Cornerstone World Outreach in Sioux City kicked off the pro-amendment event. He thanked those in attendance for supporting traditional marriage, which he described as the cornerstone of civilization. He singled out Gronstal for criticism, classifying him as a person "in need of repentance." The Reverend Keith Ratliff Sr., pastor of Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines, said the rally was not about hate, but about people with a perspective defining marriage as between a man and a woman, based on the word of God. He also condemned the proponents of gay rights, arguing that they have "hijacked" the civil rights debate. "There is no parallel" between gay rights activism and the civil-rights movement of the 1960s, said Ratliff, whose church has a predominantly black membership. "That is an insult to the civil rights movement." He added that "Deviant behaviour is not the same as being denied your right to vote." The keynote speaker was Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, who was removed from the bench in 2003 for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse, defying a federal court order. He said Iowans hold a pivotal role in American politics, and urged an effort to adopt a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, Moore telling the crowd "What happens in Iowa, the rest of the nation watches."