I share your concern… AND your hope. Yes, these rulings do scare me sometimes, as I always fear a homophobic backlash after some “liberal activist judicial ruling”. But OTOH, I also think times have rapidly changed over the last 3 years. As Bush & Co. have continued to tear this nation apart, I think most Americans have wisened up to the “gay-bait & switch” game of riling up people’s emotions on issues like marriage equality and choice, and then turning around and spending the “political capital” “earned” by riling up these emotions on such matters as privatizing Social Security and escalating the failed Iraq occupation. Oh yes, and it’s amazing to see how increasingly accepting my fellow Americans have become of queer people like me. Hopefully, my hope is in the right place, and we’ll see the fanfare over this Iowa court ruling fade off the news cycle after a couple of days.

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What’s worse, Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants is already preparing an anti-gay marriage amendment to Iowa’s constitution.

We saw how the 2003 Massachusetts ruling in favor of marriage equality ushered in backlash across the country, culminating in 27 state amendments denying the right of marriage to gays. I fear this Iowa ruling will have a similar effect, especially with election season upon us. This is why I’m generally against sweeping court decisions like this. I think an incremental steps toward equality such as the ones in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Washington, Virginia, and Michigan.

I may be overly pessimistic–a lot has changed even in the five years since the Massachusetts ruling. In spite of all of the state wide amendments banning gay marriage, we have seen several states move in the opposite direction to provide the status of civil unions to gay couples (though still unequal).

In addition, Rove (mastermind of the gay-baiting tactics to get out the conservative base) is gone. The ‘family values’ wing of the Republican party is awash with the sex scandals of Senators Craig and Vitter. And recent polling has indicated that social wedge issues like gay marriage and abortion may not have the pull they had in past, what with two failing wars in the Middle East and all.