Iowa Goes Gay (Disney)

Representatives from three Iowa visitors bureaus set up a booth at Gay Days at Disneyland Resort this weekend, encouraging gays to come live and marry in their state.

At the booth set up inside Disney’s Grand Californian hotel, gay and lesbian couples sampled wedding cake and posed for photos inside a frame that read, “Just Married … In Iowa City!” The Iowa representatives took the free photos and supplied the tuxedo jackets and bridal veils. They also handed out brochures touting Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Coralville, among other cities. “We want people to know that if the California Legislature is unwilling to take the step to give gay couples the right to marry, then please consider coming to Iowa where we will gladly welcome you with open arms,” said Joe Jennison, executive director of the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. Jennison, who is gay, is originally from Iowa and lived in California – including Orange County – for 13 years before moving back to his home state in 2003. “Even I thought I might be greeted as a gay man by bigots and closed-minded people,” he said. “But it turned out nothing could have been further from the truth. Iowa is a very progressive state.”

Reader comments on the above-linked Orange County Register story are what you might expect.