State Historical Society of Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court Case Varnum v. Brien, April 3, 2009

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Courtesy of CaseLaw, "Varnum v. Brien," Iowa Supreme Court, 3 April 2009

Description

Varnum v. Brien was a 2009 Iowa Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously agreed that the state's limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. The case made same-sex marriage legal in Iowa.

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Source Dependent Questions

  • In this speech, President Johnson uses words from America's founding document like the Declaration of Independence (all men are created equal, all men have certain unalienable rights) and the Constitution (blessings of liberty).
  • Why would President Johnson make these references in his speech? Why would President Johnson feel the need to specify that people would be equal in certain places like "in the polling booths, in the classrooms, in the factories, and in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, and other places that provide service to the public."?

Citation Information

"Varnum v. Brien," Iowa Supreme Court, 3 April 2009. Courtesy of CaseLaw Courtesy of Library of Congress