If it hadn’t been on more than one news station, I probably wouldn’t have believed it, but it appears that Iowa has legalized Gay Marriage — or, more precisely, il-legalized the ban on it.  This makes Iowa one of a very small handful of states, and the only non-coastal one, that legally permits any two adult people to get married, no matter what the sexuality of the couple.

The Iowa Supreme Court legalized gay marriage Friday in a unanimous and emphatic decision that makes Iowa the third state — and the first in the nation’s heartland — to allow same-sex couples to wed.

In its decision, the high court upheld a lower court’s ruling that found a state law restricting marriage to between a man and woman violated Iowa’s constitution.

“We are firmly convinced the exclusion of gay and lesbian people from the institution of civil marriage does not substantially further any important governmental objective,” the Supreme Court wrote in its decision. “The Legislature has excluded a historically disfavored class of persons from a supremely important civil institution without a constitutionally sufficient justification.”

Ok, so whats going on here?  California bans gay marriage and Iowa legalizes it?

Gay rights supporter and former state lawmaker Ed Fallon told NPR that the ruling is consistent with Iowa’s history.

“Iowa has always been on the cutting edge of civil rights,” Fallon said. “Whether it’s regarding desegregation of schools or the rights of African Americans to be full citizens.”

“This is huge. And I think it’s a testament to the fairness and sense of decency that Iowans have,” he said.

To be honest, this isn’t the first time Iowa has surprised me.  In fact, its neither the second NOR third time either!  The first was in college and is related to a home-grown corn-fed lad, but the second and third I think you all may remember as well: