Yes, Iowa passed marriage equality and we can marry in the country’s capital, and now Utah has elected Jim Dabakis as the first openly gay man to state office. I’m sure the irony is not lost for those in California, given the millions of dollars the Mormons raised to pass PropH8.
Dabakis was elected as the Democratic State Party Chair in Utah. Regarding his sexual orientation as an obstacle to his successful bid for office, Dabkis said, “I don’t see it as a relevant factor…I am here to do a job and do it the best I can whether I’m gay, straight, black, white, or purple.” I would specifically like to highlight that Dabakis was able to work with his Mormon constituents and got the Mormon Church there to endorse Salt Lake City’s Non-Discrimination Ordinances.
This is a nice success to celebrate, but there is still a great deal of work yet to be done towards full equality. We still need to keep vigilant for full marriage equality in each state and at the federal level. If we are good enough to elect for public office, we should have the same rights as our heterosexual brothers and sisters.