IOWA CITY: STRONG VOICES DEBATE GAY MARRIAGE. EPISCOPALIANS WEIGH IN

By Deanna Truman-Cook

Iowa City Press-Citizen

Craig Holmes, pastor of The River Community Church, opposes gay marriage.

"We stand simply on God's word," Holmes said. "That marriage is meant for a man and a woman. That is the way God designed us and instituted marriage."

The Rev. Mel Schlachter, of Trinity Episcopal, supports gay marriage.

"There is a lot of polarizing of groups going on," Schlachter said. "There needs to be people of every persuasion sitting down and talking."

In Johnson County, there is a wide variety of viewpoints and arguments on both sides of the gay marriage issue.

National polling data shows a majority oppose gay marriage. In a Gallup Poll based on 2,527 interviews from July 2003 to February 2004, about two-thirds opposed same-sex marriage. Fifty-one percent favored constitutional marriage amendments.

The issue takes on added significance here because this county has the largest number of gay households in the state of Iowa. But there is little quantitative research specifically on Johnson County residents' opinions on the issue.

On Feb. 27, 39 same-sex couples lobbied the Johnson County recorder's office for marriage licenses. The recorder denied them licenses based on a 1998 state law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

After a heated debate Tuesday night, the University of Iowa Student Government failed to approve a resolution that opposed President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment.

Holmes points out that just because he is against gay marriage doesn't mean he hates gays or lesbians.

"God calls us to love everybody. We care for and love people who choose that lifestyle," he said.

Some religious groups in the area are changing their stances to reach out to gays.

Nationwide the United Methodist Church opposes gay marriage, but the Wesley Foundation United Methodist Campus at UI voted last April to be in favor of gay rights, sending a political message to the church as a whole.

"The students are all about inclusion," said Paul Shultz, associate director of the campus. "We would be against the amendment. If it diminishes someone's rights, we would stand against it."

Todd Jansen, 28, is holding firm to his belief that gay marriage should not be permitted.

"I just think marriage is between a man and a woman," he said. "It is with all the Judeo-Christian teachings."

Faith Wilmot, 54, has been lobbying for gay marriage since she was 22. She is vowing not to give up.

"I am not going to stand for this," she said. "With the marriages in San Francisco, they have let the genie out of the bottle. It is not going to stop."