What Republicans have come to realize (and Democrats refuse to accept) is that you can just DO THINGS at the executive level. And if the bureaucrats follow along, then you’ve functionally established new policy.

The Iowa legislature can pass a rule saying “No more issuing marriage contracts to gay couples” and the state courts can say “Okay, we’ll stop doing that and we’ll also stop recognizing existing contracts”, and all the low level county officials can just ignore the legal status of gay married families and then private businesses can follow suit. And then that’s it. No SCOTUS decision is going to pay out on insurance benefits claims to a legally de-certified no-longer-spouse.

On the flip side, the Iowa legislature can author this act and the people of Iowa can rise up in protest and say “Fuck you, we won’t do what you tell us.” Private businesses can continue to honor marriage contracts. Low level bureaucrats can continue to treat gay couples as married. Mid-level bureaucrats can defend and promote them. High level bureaucrats who continue to force these abhorrent laws on people can be removed from office.

The problem is that… the fish rots from the head. More likely than not, we’re seeing this push because Iowa’s basket of deplorable plutocrats want to expand the number of minorities they can piss and shit all over. Just like how DOGE gutted the “Woke” federal bureaucracy, I suspect we’re going to see Iowa state leadership tearing the spine out of any state or local government agency that refuses to accept gay rights are expired.

Do you have the courage to stand up to your boss? Do you have the support of your friends and coworkers to call a strike in a business that singles out the LGBTQ folks who work there? Will you march on your city council and demand they take your side or get out of the way? Will you march on your state house? Will you stare down a bunch of bigots in badges when you do it?

This is a big ask and its not easy to find enough folks willing to stand up for what is right.