LGBTQ+ couples are racing to tie the knot before Donald Trump takes office

Fearing that marriage equality may be at risk under another Trump administration, many same-sex couples in Iowa are hurrying to get married before the president-elect takes office in January. One individual is making extraordinary efforts to assist these couples in getting married.

Chaplain Anitta Milloro, through the Lesbians of Iowa organisation, has created a network to connect couples with vendors offering free services to queer couples, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’. These services include anything from photographers and officiants to living will and notary services, currently aiding over 40 couples.

Milloro explained to Des Moines news station KCCI, “There’s only so long that I can sit in suffering before I have to roll up my sleeves and do something. We take care of ourselves. That’s what we’ve had to do, that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Her initiative, ‘For A Time Such As This,’ features an interactive map highlighting where free services are available, including vendors from across the country. Vendors interested in participating can apply via a form on the site.

While marriage equality rights are currently protected nationwide by the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, many are concerned it could be at risk after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has voiced a desire to revisit the ruling.

If the Supreme Court were to overturn marriage equality, the Respect for Marriage Act, signed by President Joe Biden in December 2022, would ensure the federal and all state governments recognise same-sex and interracial marriages legal in the states where they were performed.

Iowa legalised marriage equality in 2009, yet some LGBTQ+ residents are skeptical of the state GOP’s commitment to safeguarding this right. Although the party claims that suggestions of overturning marriage equality are “fearmongering,” Milloro stressed that there is a lack of trust.

“They believe it can happen because it happened with Roe v. Wade. So how do we take steps to protect ourselves in light of an administration that’s not going to do that for us?”