One Iowa is announcing that 3 former Iowa Supreme Court justices have been chosen to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award® is the nation's most prestigious honor for public servants.
Throughout his political career, President Kennedy inspired people to follow their conscience and to work for the benefit of their communities, their country, and their world. He believed that each person can make a difference, and that everyone should try. In particular, he wanted to restore a belief in politics as a noble profession and a calling to public service.
The Profile in Courage Award was created in 1989 by members of President Kennedy's family to honor President John F. Kennedy and to recognize and celebrate the quality of political courage that he admired most.
The award is named for President Kennedy’s 1957 Pulitzer prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage, which recounts the stories of eight U.S. Senators who risked their careers by taking principled stands for unpopular positions.
After a unanimous ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court on April 3, 2009 that excluding same sex couples from marriage was unconstitutional, the right went on the attack and managed to convince Iowan's to oust the 3 judges in the 2010 judicial retention vote.
This is wonderful news. I'm so happy that Justice Ternus, Justice Streit, and Justice Baker are being recognized for their rightful place in history. Read more here from One Iowa.
One Iowa, Lambda Legal, and Justice Not Politics Celebrate Three Iowa Supreme Court Justices’ 'Profile In Courage' National Honor
Des Moines, IA—Today, it was announced that three Iowa Supreme Court Justices who were ousted in the 2010 judicial retention vote will receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in May. This is the highest and most prestigious award that can be bestowed upon public servants and was created to celebrate political courage.
On April 3, 2009, the Iowa State Supreme Court unanimously ruled that excluding gay and lesbian couples from marriage was unconstitutional. In August 2010, the state’s most prominent anti-equality leader, Family Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats, launched an attack on the three Iowa Supreme Court justices who were up for retention on the November 2010 ballot. Through a campaign fueled by misinformation and bankrolled by out-of-state anti-gay groups and leaders, most notably the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and the American Family Association (AFA), the three justices were ousted.