Iowa GOP’s platform encourages repeal of laws recognizing same-sex marriage

DES MOINES — Delegates at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention voted to include a policy statement on marriage in the party’s 2024 platform.

A 2022 law requires the federal government to recognize marriages as long as they were valid in the state where the marriage took place. Three Iowa Republicans — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst and Congresswomen Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks — voted for it.

A majority of delegates at this weekend’s Iowa GOP state convention voted to encourage repeal of any law allowing marriage that’s not between one man and one woman. Iowa County delegate Brad Sherman, author of the platform plank, said the legal recognition of same-sex marriages violates religious freedom. “The attack on marriage and the family that we have seen is part of a strategic effort to destabilize our culture and destroy our nation,” he said.

Thomas Hansen of Winneshiek County said having government define marriage is the problem, because it has led to edicts from the court and congress. “If you want to use the Bible to define what marriage is, I’d like you to show me in the Bible where God says we need a license to do it,” he said.

Patrick Geren of Pottawattamie County was also among the minority of delegates who opposed adding the policy statement to the party platform. “People have the right to disagree with our religious beliefs and to follow their own conscience,” he said.

Gary Leffler of Polk County said the party needs to stand on principle. “We still believe in marriage between a man and a woman and I don’t care what the left says,” Leffler said.

A similar statement was included in the party’s 2022 platform.

One of the first debates among delegates at this weekend’s GOP convention was about gender balance rules. David Chung of Davenport argued the national party should do away with requirements that each state have a National Committeeman and National Committeewoman. There’s also a rule that the national party have a female co-chair if the chair is a man — and vice versa.

“We Republicans are hypocrites,” Chung said. “…We Republicans should be consistent. We have stood against affirmative action, against DEI.”

A majority of delegates voted against Chung’s proposal, but a member of the Iowa GOP’s governing board said party leaders will discuss the issue.