Helen shot the footage for these three videos and edited two of them. They are
related to the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that the state's
10-year-old ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. They videos are
posted in chronological order with an explanation of the context
of each video.
MARK AND TERRY'S WEDDING
(2007)
— On Thursday, August 30, 2007,
Judge Robert Hanson of Polk County (Des Moines area) ruled that
Iowa's 10-year prohibition of same-sex marriage was
unconstitutional. On Friday morning, several same-sex couples
applied for marriage licenses at the Polk County Court House.
One of those couples was married and registered their marriage
before Judge Hanson put a delay on the decision late in the
morning, pending a ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court. Mark Kassis
and Terry Lowman, who had been together for 30 years, were one
of the couples who obtained a marriage license that morning,
prior to the judge announcing the hold. Mark and Terry were then
married at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames on
Sunday, following the 11 a.m. UUFA program. On Monday, when they
went back to Des Moines, they were not allowed to register their
marriage. But they did have a legal license and ceremony,
becoming one of Iowa's first, same-sex, married couples. Helen
videotaped the ceremony, and a friend of the couple edited the
footage. (length: 5:45)
IOWA MARRIAGE EQUALITY
(2009) — On April 3, the Iowa
Supreme Court unanimously overturned the state's 10-year ban on
same-sex marriage. However, the decision did not take formal
effect until April 27 when the Supreme Court issued a legal
order to carry out its ruling. This video uses a portion of the
decision's text and footage from a rally organized by One Iowa
on the central campus of Iowa State University near Morrill Hall
and the ISU library on April 3. (length: 2:50)
MARK AND TERRY FINALIZE THEIR
MARRIAGE
(2009) — On April 27, 2009,
Mark Kassis and Terry Lowman drove to the Story County Court
House, escorted by Helen and their minister, the Rev. Dr. Brian
Eslinger, and went through the hoops to re-do and record their
marriage license. (length 6:44)
