Yesterday, Governor Reynolds, in line with her long history of championing a referendum on same-sex marriage, once again called for a vote on the issue.
A few hours later through a spokesperson, Reynolds changed her position and declared the issue “settled” because she no longer wants to talk about LGBTQ civil rights for clearly political reasons.
Unfortunately, basic civil rights for LGBTQ Americans is not an issue that has been “settled.” And, while Governor Reynolds may find it politically inconvenient for her campaign, she has a duty to clarify her position on the LGBTQ civil rights that are still under attack from her own party in Iowa and across the nation.
Here are just some of the critical questions Reynolds has failed to answer:
- Has the Governor changed her position on marriage equality? If yes, what precipitated her change on marriage equality? What is her position now?
- If it were ever brought up, would the Governor still support a Constitutional Ban on same sex marriage?
- If new restrictions on same sex couples and LGBTQ individuals were introduced in Iowa, would she support them?
“Once again, Governor Reynolds seems content to avoid anything resembling leadership – especially when it might impact her campaign. Iowa voters deserve to know if she stands with the majority of us who support marriage equality and LGBTQ rights,” said Iowa Democratic Party Spokesperson Tess Seger.