PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Tell Iowa Legislature to Support LGBT Families
  1. Signatures
    1,588 out of 2,500
    Petitioning
    1. State Rep. Linda Upmeyer (+ 9 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • State Rep. Linda Upmeyer (IA-012)
      • State Rep. Nathan Reichert (IA-080)
      • State Sen. Thomas Courtney (IA-044)
      • State Sen. James Seymour (IA-028)
      • State Rep. Tyler Olson (IA-038)
      • State Sen. John Kibbie (IA-004)
      • State Sen. Wally Horn (IA-017)
      • State Rep. Marcella Frevert (IA-007)
      • State Rep. David Heaton (IA-091)
      • State Sen. Merlin Bartz (IA-006)
  2. Created By
    Michael Jones
    Boston, MA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Iowa's State Supreme Court issued a ruling in 2009 legalizing same-sex marriage. A year later, state departments and agencies are still in the process of adjusting rules and policies to reflect the fact that same-sex married relationships are just as valid as heterosexual married relationships.

One such state department reviewing their policies is the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which is prepared to change a camping policy this summer to allow LGBT families access to state designated family campgrounds. Sounds reasonable, right? After all, campgrounds shouldn't be segregated so that straight families and gay families are kept apart.

But there's one Iowa legislator -- State Senator Merlin Bartz -- who is trying to block the rule change, because he does not want state agencies giving gay and lesbian couples "new benefits," in his words. But this is hardly a new benefit. This is a small change intended to make sure that all of Iowa's state parks are adhering to Iowa's State Law.

Instead, Senator Merlin Bartz is trying to politicize the issue of camping, just to sound off about gay marriage.

Tell members of the Iowa State Legislature, specifically those who will decide on the state park's camping policy, that there's no place for politics in camping. This is simply a small measure to make sure LGBT families are treated with the same dignity (not "new" or "special" dignity) that straight families receive.

Recent Signatures

Don't Politicize Camping -- Allow LGBT Families Equal Access to State Campgrounds

Greetings,

As the Iowa General Assembly's Administrative Rules Review Committee prepares to debate a change in policy with Iowa's Department of Natural Resources -- one that specifically would give gay and lesbian families equal access to designated family-area campgrounds in Iowa's state park system -- I urge you to support this change.

Sadly, one Senator on your Committee, Merlin Bartz, has gone on record opposing this change, saying that if it's allowed to go through, the Department of Natural Resources will be extending new benefits to gay and lesbian couples. Sen. Bartz told Radio Iowa that he wants to be "vigilant" in opposing this measure.

But politicizing camping is a rather embarrassing move. Changing the Department of Natural Resources' policy to allow gay and lesbian families to have equal access to family-designated areas at state campgrounds hardly creates new rights. Rather, it makes sure that the Department is acting in accordance with Iowa State Law, which recognizes that gay and lesbian families are equally as valid as heterosexual families. There's no difference between the two under Iowa state law, and there should be no difference between the two at Iowa campgrounds.

Senator Bartz admitted to Radio Iowa that his opposition to this change at the Department of Natural Resources stems from his opposition to gay marriage. But Iowa law should have the final say on this rules change; not Sen. Bartz's own religious or personal convictions.

I urge you to support this change to Iowa's Department of Natural Resources. Camping should be about families, fun, smores, roasting marshmallows and sleeping under the stars. It shouldn't be a battleground for opponents of gay marriage.

Thank you for your time.

[Your name]

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