Formation November 2006 Location Des Moines, Iowa (USA) Website oneiowa.org | Purpose LGBT rights Area served Iowa Founded November 2006 | |
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Key people Donna Red Wing, executive director Headquarters Des Moines, Iowa, United States Similar Freedom to Marry, Iowa Citizens for Communi, National Center for Lesbian, Equal Rights Washington, OutFront Minnesota Profiles | ||
One Iowa is the largest LGBT rights advocacy group in Iowa. The organization works toward equality for LGBT individuals in Iowa through grassroots organizing and education. It was instrumental in the state's Supreme Court ruling to overturn the ban on same-sex marriage.
Contents
Background
The organization was founded in November 2006 following the 2005 suit filed by Lambda Legal that led to the Varnum v. Brien suit. At first, the emphasis of the group was marriage equality, but soon after formation, a board of directors was established and efforts were increased to include civil rights, civil marriage, LGBT families and aging.
As of 2009, One Iowa is the largest LGBT rights advocacy group in the state.
The organization is a former member of the Equality Federation.
Efforts
The organization has used the Internet and other grassroots methods to spread its message. It established a Facebook page, a Twitter page, and has a website at www.oneiowa.org. During Varnum, the group contacted residents and urged them to contact their local officials. They also held forums in towns throughout Iowa that included LGBT community members, individuals from the religious establishment and legal scholars, where they emphasized the need for marriage equality.
Following Varnum, the group was lauded for its grassroots efforts by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. However, the group's efforts also faced criticism. Congressman Steve King (R-IA) remarked that the state would become "a gay-marriage mecca" following the court's decision. But a One Iowa spokesman maintained that the group's efforts concerned "Iowa couples" and that it was not his intention to turn the state into a "sideshow."
The organization has since worked to educate court recorders on how to "make sure gays and lesbian couples feel welcomed" when applying for a marriage license, and have allowed for participants to choose from "bride," "groom" or "spouse" on the document.
In coalition with its ally groups, One Iowa's achievements following Varnum also include defeating anti-marriage policies, modernizing Iowa’s HIV transmission law, urging Iowa Senators to stop blocking judicial nominees at the federal level, civil rights advocacy to protect the LGBT community against employment and housing discrimination, and establishing anti-bullying policies in Iowa’s schools.
One Iowa's work also includes educating Iowans about why marriage matters to gay and lesbian couples, ensuring that communities are safe for LGBTQ youth, reaching out to communities of faith, addressing concerns about Iowa’s aging and elder LGBT populations, and improving access to resources for transgender Iowans.