DES MOINES – As Iowa made history Friday allowing same sex couples to marry many crowded in Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines in support.  

Among the approximatly 300 people in attendance stood a lesbian couple with their arms gripped tightly around each other’s waists smiling big.

Samantha Stansell, of Arkansas, and April Stansell, of southern Iowa, have a “domestic partnership” but plan on getting married right away on April 23. 

Samantha and April met at work in February of 2007 and Samantha said it was “love at first sight.” In 2008, April got down on one knee and asked her to marry. Of course, Samantha said yes. 

Both said they were anxious to get the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision early Friday morning. Samantha headed off to work and said she prayed for Friday to be the day her life would improve. 

“I had to go to work and I was just praying all the way to work ‘please please please,’ then [April] texted me and said ‘we won!’ and I was like ‘yes!’” Samantha said.

She said she had been waiting for this decision since she was a child.

“You dream of growing up and getting married but with me it was always, you know, to a woman, and you know, this is amazing, absolutely amazing,” she said. “I’ve been waiting for a very long tome.” 

When April heard the decision on the news she said emotion overwhelmed her. 

“I was bouncing, I was just so excited and happy I couldn’t contain it. It was just amazing. It was something I never thought would happen in my lifetime,” April said. 

As soon as the announcement was made about the unanimous court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in Iowa, April and Samantha contacted all of their friends and family, who simply asked, “When’s the wedding?” 

April said the young people are more accepting. 

“I’m not surprised that gay marriage is being legalized in states because as the younger generations start getting into the court systems and stuff like that I think more equality is going to happen,” she said. “Where as not so much of the older generations who seems to be more against it, you know, they’re more traditional.” 

They said their families, once openly out, already assumed they were lesbian. They said it wasn’t hard for them to accept.  

Both said they agree being gay is nature-based, not nurture. 

“I believe that God makes every individual an individual you know, whether they are black or white, gay or straight, purple… I don’t care. They’re an individual and that’s just who you are,” Samantha said. 

The rally

The Des Moines rally, led by One Iowa, an lesbian, gay, bisexual and trasngender advocacy group, was a celebration for gay and lesbian couples all across the state.

Camilla Taylor, senior staff attorney at Lambda Legal, the law firm representing the plantiffs in the case, said Iowa has always led the way in historic civil rights events. 

“Iowans are used to pointing the way for the rest of the country. Of course Iowa chooses our presidents,” Taylor said.

“But in addition Iowa’s always played a prominent role in the civil rights struggles of our times. Iowa was the first place to admit a woman to practice law… Iowa was among the first to strike down its ban on interracial marriage. And Iowa desegregated its schools almost 100 years before Brown v. Board of Education. Today Iowa took its place in the vanguard of our civil rights struggle and we are so honored and proud to be in Iowa today.” 

Carlos Garza, chairman of the board for the Des Moines Social Club and an active advocate for the Gay Pride organization, said legalizing gay marriage will help the economy and make Iowa a “global competitor.” 

“Economy wise, lodging wise, you know, property wise, tourist wise – we are a global competitor.” he said. “All those things play a factor, businesses, business owners.” 

Garza said the decision was a “civil rights thing not a gay thing.”

Marti Anderson, a married heterosexual from Des Moines, agreed. 

“I couldn’t be more excited. I am just tired of people in this country thinking that other people shouldn’t have the same rights they do,” Anderson said. “This is a civil rights issue, you know, we got rid of slavery and it’s time to get rid of the oppression of gay and lesbian people.“

Anderson said she thinks same-sex couples can teach heterosexuals a thing or two. 

“I always thought gay and lesbian people should have the exact same rights in their love as heterosexual people have,” she sasid. “Heterosexuals have done a heck of a job trying to mess up marriage, maybe more love will help make it stronger.”

Anderson showed her support by attending the rally Friday, even though she is not gay.  

“I’m thrilled. And I think that every loving marriage that is created out of this will make my heterosexual marriage even stronger,” Anderson said. “There’s nothing like love.”