January 2011
HJR6 was introduced into the Iowa House of Representatives. One Iowa took an immediate stand and responded to this shameful and discriminatory amendment to the Constitution that would ban marriage between loving, committed gay and lesbian couples.
One Iowa held our first Lobby Day of the year at the Capitol with nearly 100 of our supporters from across the state braving the wintery weather to talk to their legislators about marriage equality and why marriage Matters to committed, loving gay and lesbian couples.
The Iowa House of Representatives held a public hearing for HJR6. One Iowa worked closely with key speakers to make sure the pro-equality voice was heard in the legislature. At this public hearing, the world first met Zach Wahls as he told his inspiring story of being raised by two moms. This video is now the most-viewed political video of 2011. Since then, Zach has appeared on The Ellen Show and has garnered national media attention.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q]
At that hearing, we heard from former Iowa Sen. Jeff Angelo, a Republican who introduced the first amendment to ban marriage for gay and lesbian couples. Angelo has since come around and supports full marriage equality. In June, Angelo created the group Iowa Republicans For Freedom.
February 2011
While HJR6 passed the Iowa House with a vote of 62-37, One Iowa worked closely with Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, who vowed to block the amendment from heading to the Senate floor for debate. This discriminatory piece of legislation was never brought up, and died in the Senate.
Working with the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, One Iowa successfully blocked House Study Bill 50, which would give organizations or individuals the right to deny services and public accommodations to married couples based on individual religious beliefs. The bill would have affected all married couples, including interracial couples, couples of different faith backgrounds, and same-sex couples.
One Iowa led the charge against H.B. 330, which would have prevented county recorders from issuing marriage certificates to same sex couples until a vote on a constitutional amendment, and prevented the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of this unconstitutional bill. Thanks to the hard work of One Iowa members, this bill also died in subcommittee.
March 2011
In March, we held our March Lobby Day with over 60 of our supporters up at the Capitol on the same day that Bob Vander Plaats and the Family Leader held a rally demanding a majority vote on the definition of marriage. While we were up against 500 of our opposition, we held strong and talked to nearly 100 legislators about why marriage matters for gay and lesbian couples.
April 2011
One Iowa joined with our organizational partners, including Justice not Politics, to successfully fight against articles of impeachment drawn up against the four remaining Varnum Supreme Court Justices.
This month, we celebrated the second anniversary of the April 3, 2009 marriage decision and hosted our second annual anniversary bash. This special day of celebration also marked the final funnel of the 2011 legislative session, which officially saw the death of HJR6, the Anti-Marriage Amendment. We had a lot to celebrate, and also took the opportunity to draw inspiration and strength from each other for the continued fight ahead.
One Iowa launched a Summer Home program giving students the tools they need to start conversations at home during the break. We encouraged students to tell personal stories about Why Marriage Matters and why marriage equality is important.
May 2011
In May, One Iowa celebrated mothers. On Mother’s Day, special guest Zach Wahls shared his message of equality with mothers in the state and across the country.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8jJQR4XoFI&w=560&h=315]
One Iowa also moved offices to the new location at 419 SW 8th Street. While we miss our old location in the East Village, One Iowa has been able to have a bigger impact by moving into a more cost-efficient environment.
June 2011
We celebrated Pride in true One Iowa fashion with dozens of our supporters and volunteers coming together to help make 2011 unforgettable! One Iowa made stops all across the state to celebrate Pride with our friends and supporters in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Davenport, Iowa City, and even with our neighbors in Omaha, Nebraska.
We also saw the Conservative Case for Marriage expand as former Iowa Sen. Jeff Angelo created the group Iowa Republicans for Freedom.
Troy Price named One Iowa Executive Director. 
New York joined Iowa as part of the handful of states that currently allow marriage equality for thousands of loving, committed gay and lesbian couples.
July 2011
Launched our new house party program. Iowans across the state have been given a chance to talk one-on-one with each other about Why Marriage Matters and why this conversation is so important.
One Iowa started a petition demanding that Bob Vander Plaats apologize for laughing at a hurtful, derogatory homophobic joke. The petition garnered over 1,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. We still have not received an apology.
One Iowa responded to Bob Vander Plaats’ hurtful “marriage vow”–signed by Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, and endorsed by Newt Gingrich.
Announced a generous matching grant from the Gill Foundation and launched Sustaining Equality, where every recurring monthly donation would be matched by Gill up to $25,000.&
August 2011
Opponents NOM and the Family Leader launch the so-called Family Values Bus Tour, an anti-marriage, anti-choice conservative bus tour through Iowa. The tour was met with tepid response from extreme conservatives in the state. Media coverage included reaction from One Iowa.
As part of a public education strategy, One Iowa launched a Speakers Bureau program to help supporters tell their stories about why marriage equality matters to them. One Iowa hosted trainings in Des Moines, Iowa City, Mason City, and Cedar Rapids.
We also conducted a Gender Identity training for community staff in Des Moines to raise awareness and promote tolerance in a low-income neighborhood.
One Iowa welcomed new staff: Communications Director Molly Tafoya and Public Education Consultant Calla Rongerude.
One Iowa joined communities across the state in honoring Marcellus Andrews and calling upon our society to remember that words matter. Vigils were head across the state to honor this young man and his life that was cut short.
September 2011
One Iowa launched a new store where you can find all the gear you need to show your support for equality in the Hawkeye State. And the best part is a portion of the proceeds go to support One Iowa’s work advancing equality for ALL Iowans.
One Iowa field staff attended the Women’s Music Festival in Iowa City to sign up supporters and encourage community involvement.
One Iowa launched the One Iowa on Campus initiative to connect students across the state with each other and other One Iowa supporters
Swati Dandekar resigned as Senator leaving her seat open for a special election. This election threatened the slim pro-equality majority bringing national attention to this regional special election. Democrat Liz Mathis voiced her support for protecting marriage and ran a smart, clean campaign against Republican Cindy Golding. One Iowa launched a strategic field effort with the support of allies across the state to help elect the fair-minded candidate and protect our pro-equality majority in the Iowa State Senate.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal took effect and One Iowa supporter John Schmacker sat down to talk about his experience in the military before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and to discuss how much has changed since his time in service.
Census numbers revised to show accurate number of Iowa same-sex couples; One Iowa responds in the media
September 28, 2011
Number of same-sex couples in Iowa rises by 162%
KCCI-TV
http://www.kcci.com/news/29322195/detail.html
One Iowa launches a Caucus Tracker to keep track of where the candidates stand on marriage equality. Information includes quotes, video, audio, and articles
October 2011
Mobilized 266 volunteers through 25 phone banks, 8 door knocking campaigns etc.
To celebrate National Coming Out Day, we worked with supporters and corporate ally AVIVA to share personal stories from LGBT Iowans
November 2011
Success in SD 18! After just 8 short weeks of door-knocking, voter registration, and fundraising, Liz Mathis, the pro-equality candidate successfully won the SD 18 election defeating Cindy Golding. Her election protected the slim 26-24 pro-equality majority in the Senate until the November 2012 election.
In the wake of the special election victory, One Iowa threw a party! On November 11, 2011, we held the 4th Annual Sweet Equality in Des Moines. We auctioned off great items, showcased some of Iowa’s finest culinary artists, and hosted 150 guests. It was a huge success!
Another big piece of our work this year has been to respond to Bob Vander Plaats and The Family Leaders consistent barrage against loving and committed couples in Iowa. He has built his career on the backs of LGBT Iowans in the state, and it is our job to make sure the pro-equality voice is heard above his hurtful and extreme rhetoric.
December 2011
The Williams Institute released a report showing the positive financial impact marriage equality has had on the state. In the year after the 2009 marriage decision, an estimated $12 to $13 million in wedding-related spending resulted in nearly $930,000 in revenue for the state.
One Iowa participated in a panel discussion on marriage equality at the Celebrate Human Rights day at the State Historical Building.
One Iowa launched the year-end Gift of Equality campaign to help us finish 2011 strong and head into 2012 with the necessary support to tackle any legislation introduced that threatens equality in the state. As part of our campaign, we worked with families across the state to share with supporters what equality means to them.
Tell Rick Perry to Go Back to Texas: One Iowa responds to increasing attacks on LGBT equality by Presidential candidates. One Iowa is committed to holding our elected officials and candidates accountable for their words and actions.
One Iowa responds to Bob Vander Plaats’ endorsement of Rick Santorum with a statement.
In conjunction with our Caucus Tracker, One Iowa also launched a tool-kit for caucus goers including pro-equality for both Democrat and Republican Party Platforms.
