I live in St. Louis and like most of the country I was shocked when gay marraige came to Iowa this year.  IOWA!  Shocked, but extremely happy.  For several years now I have stood alongside my LGBT friends in their struggle for equality.  I've been on the radio, I've lobbied in Jefferson City and I've tried to be as visable as possible so that people know that not every straight midwestern redneck is a homophobe.

So, this weekend, a person I know chartered a bus.  17 Missouri couples and their Rabbies and Ministers went to Iowa to get married.  These brave people know that after they cross back in to Missouri, those marriages won't be recognized by their home state yet it is important that people here in Missouri see their struggle.

Sure, we all know that there is large amounts of bile spewed by the Limbaughterians  GOP like this gem from Republican Steve King…

Now it is the Iowa legislature’s responsibility to pass the Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, clarifying that marriage is between one man and one woman, to give the power that the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself back to the people of Iowa. Along with a constitutional amendment, the legislature must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering.

More after the fold.Now, while I expect things like that from the Wackos on the right, lets take a look at what Justin Uebelhor, a spokesman for One Iowa, the state’s largest gay-rights organization has to say about my friends here in Missouri and their bus ride north to get married.

“We want this to be about Iowa and about Iowa couples who want to commit to each other,” says Uebelhor. “I think the opposition is going to be watching this closely. They’ll look for any opportunity to say, ‘Look at all these outsiders getting married in mass weddings.’ We don’t want it to turn into a sideshow.”

I think its a tough job to fight discrimination but its made all the more tougher when people on your side of the argument are also discriminating.  One Iowa should be welcoming my Missouri friends with open arms, not closed minds.  Equality, at the basic level, should be equality for all.  Gay Missourians as well as Gay Iowans.  Since Missouri is behind Iowa on this matter, our couples are showing Jefferson City how much they want marriage here in Missouri to be equal for ALL.  One Iowa needs to welcome gay couples from Missouri and other states no matter if its one couple or one hundred.