Varnum v. Brien
Iowa Supreme Court
763 N.W.2d 862 (2009)
Relevant factsFree
Iowa's marriage statute expressly limited valid marriage to unions between a male and a female. Six same-sex couples led by Katherine Varnum (plaintiffs) sued Polk County Recorder Timothy Brien (defendant) after he refused to register their marriages, and the district court held the statute violated the Iowa Constitution's equal protection clause; the case reached the Iowa Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether Iowa's law limiting marriage to "a male and a female" violates the Iowa Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.