Arrested for Promotion of Homosexuality in Tanzania

   DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) - Tanzanian police say they are holding 12 men, including two South Africans, for questioning over allegations of promoting homosexuality in this East African country.

   Dar es Salaam Police Chief Lazaro Mambosasa said Thursday that authorities are gathering evidence and will arraign all the suspects in court to face criminal charges. He said the suspects include two South Africans, a Ugandan and nine Tanzanians

   The men were arrested at a hotel in the port city of Dar es Salaam.

   Homosexuality is criminalized in Tanzania under a colonial-era law banning sex acts "against order of nature."

   Tanzanian authorities have recently ramped up a crackdown on the activities of LGBT people, even ordering clinics to stop offering services to homosexuals

Mwanaume Ajifanya Mwanamke Ili Apate Kazi Dar

 Kutoka Facebook

 
LAHAULA UMEISIKIA HII??? Katika hali isiyo ya kawaida kijana mmoja mwenye jina la Naftaeli Mbowe ameibua mapya jijini Daresalam. Kijana huyu ambaye ni graduate wa sociology katika moja ya vyuo hapa nchini alimaliza chuo mwaka 2011 na kufaulu vizuri sana. Kutokana na maisha ya kuiga akiwa chuoni alijitumbukiza kwenye siasa na kujidai ni mwanaharakati wa chadema hivyo kutokana na uwezo wake darasani aliweza kujenga hoja zilizomfanya akajulikana na uongozi wa juu wa CDM.

Alipomaliza chuo kijana huyu alichukuliwa na viongozi hawa wa ufipani kwa ahadi kuwa aendelee kukisaidia chama ambapo alipangwa kwenye department ya matusi mtandaoni kwa ujira wa kulipiwa chumba jijini daresalam na kulipwa shilingi laki moja kama posho ya mwezi. Chakula na vinywaji walikuwa wanapata kwenye getho walilopangiwa mtaa wa kimara Bucha. Kijana huyu amekuwa akifanya kazi hiyo kwa muda mrefu na yupo humu humu kundini kwa jina bandia. Kutokana na chama kufilisika siku za hivi karibuni kwa kuendekeza kesi za kupinga kila jambo la serikali na safari za viongozi zisizokuwa na tija vijana hawa walitelekezwa.

Kijana huyu toka mwaka 2013 amekuwa akisota mtaani bila mafanikio yoyote ndipo alipoamua kujibadilisha jinsia kwa kuvaa nguo za kike na kusuka rasta ili aombe kazi za uhasegirl na azma yake hii ilitimia. Aliajiriwa na mama mmoja asiyekuwa na mume maeneo ya ubungo msewe na hakuweza kumshtukia kwa muda wa miezi miwili kwani aliishi kwa umakini mkubwa sana. Juzi ijumaa limemtokea la kumtokea baada ya mtoto wa kiume wa mwenye nyumba kwenda kumpiga chabo akioga ili afaidi kuona maumbile ya beki tatu huyo.

Alishangazwa na alichokiona ikabidi amkasirikie mama yake sana kwa kumleta mwanamme ndani ya nyumba yao huku akisingizia ni mwanamke. Gadhabu zilimpanda zaidi kwa kuwa njemba hilo lilikuwa likilala na dada yake ndipo njama za kumuumbua bila mama yake kujua ziliposukwa.Alipotumwa sokoni mtoto wa mama wa kazi ambaye ni wa kiume aliamua kufuatilia nyuma ili kumuumbua, huku akiwa na wenzanke walimsimamisha na kumshushia kipigo cha maana ndipo alipoelezea kisa kizima.

Vijana wa chadema mliopo kwenye magetho mbali mbali okokeni sasa njooni ccm. mtaumbuka mjini hapa.

Zile Sheria za Kuzuia Usenge na Ushoga Si Halali - Maamuzi ya Mahakama

Mahakama Kuu ya Uganda imeamuru kuwa zile sheria za kuzuia Usenge na Ushoga Uganda si halali. Wamesema kuwa sheria haikupitishwa kihalali. Hivyo vimefutwa. Sasa Usenge na Ushoga Ruksa!  Wasenge na Mashoga wa nchi za Magahribi watafurahia habari habari hiyo maana walisema kuzuia ni kinyume na haki za binadamu!

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By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

   KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - A Ugandan court on Friday invalidated an anti-gay bill signed into law earlier this year, pleasing activists and watchdog groups who called the measure draconian and wanted it repealed.

   The Constitutional Court declared the law illegal because it was passed during a parliamentary session that lacked a quorum.

   Activists erupted in cheers after the court ruled the law "null and void," but some cautioned that the fight was not over: The state could appeal the ruling in the Supreme Court and legislators might try to reintroduce new anti-gay measures. Also, a colonial-era law that criminalizes sex acts "against the order of nature" still remains in effect in Uganda, allowing for continued arrests.

   The invalidated law provided jail terms of up to life for those convicted of engaging in gay sex.  It also allowed lengthy jail terms for those convicted of the offenses of "attempted homosexuality" as well as "promotion of homosexuality."

   Although the legislation has wide support in Uganda, it has been condemned in the West.

   The U.S. has withheld or redirected funding to some Ugandan institutions accused of involvement in rights abuses, but the ruling Friday might win the Ugandan delegation a softer landing in the U.S. next week as it heads to Washington for a gathering led by President Barack Obama.

   The panel of five judges on the East African country's Constitutional Court said the speaker of parliament acted illegally when she allowed a vote on the measure despite at least three objections - including from the country's prime minister - over a lack of a quorum when the bill was passed on Dec. 20.

   "The speaker was obliged to ensure that there was a quorum," the court said in its ruling. "We come to the conclusion that she acted illegally."

   The courtroom was packed with Ugandans opposing or supporting the measure.

   Frank Mugisha, a Ugandan gay leader, said the ruling was a "step forward" for gay rights even though he was concerned about possible retaliation.

   Ugandan lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi, an attorney for the activists, said the ruling "upholds the rule of law and constitutionalism in Uganda."

   U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the decision as a "victory for the rule of law," according to a statement read by U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.  "He pays tribute to all those who contributed to this step forward, particularly the human rights activists in Uganda who spoke out at great personal risk."

   Lawyers and activists challenged the anti-gay law after it was enacted in February on the grounds that it was illegally passed and that it violated certain rights guaranteed in Uganda's constitution.

   The court ruled Friday that the activists' entire petition had been disposed of since the law was illegally passed in the first place. This means there will be no further hearings about the activists' argument that the anti-gay measure discriminated against some Ugandans in violation of the constitution.

   Nicholas Opiyo, a Ugandan lawyer who was among the petitioners, welcomed the ruling but said there is a missed opportunity to debate the substance of the law.  "The ideal situation would have been to deal with the other issues of the law, to sort out this thing once and for all," Opiyo said.

   He mentioned the existing law that still allows for arrests of alleged offenders. Lawmakers might also try to reintroduce a new anti-gay measure, he said.

   Kosia Kasibayo, a state attorney, said a decision had not been made on whether to appeal the ruling in the Supreme Court, Uganda's highest court.

   The anti-gay legislation was enacted on Feb. 24 by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who said he wanted to deter Western groups from promoting homosexuality among African children.

   Some European countries and the World Bank withheld aid over the law, piling pressure on Uganda's government, which depends on Western support to implement a substantial part of its budget. Ofwono Opondo, a Ugandan government spokesman, had repeatedly described Western action over the law as "blackmail." Opondo and other government officials were not immediately available for comment after the Friday ruling.

   Supporters of the anti-gay measure say they believe Museveni - who will lead Uganda's delegation to the U.S. next week- may have quietly backed the court's ruling. Many Ugandans see the courts as lacking independence and unlikely to make decisions strongly opposed by Museveni, who has held power here for nearly three decades.

   "This ruling has got nothing to do with the will of the people," said Martin Ssempa, a prominent Ugandan cleric who has led street marches in support of the anti-gay measure. "Unfortunately, it has everything to do with pressure from Barack Obama and the homosexuals of Europe."

   Although Ugandan police say there have been no arrests of alleged homosexual offenders since the bill was enacted, gay leaders and activists say suspected homosexuals have been harassed by the police as well as landlords, sending many underground and unable to access essential health services. Ugandan police raided the offices of a U.S.-funded clinic that offered AIDS services to homosexuals after the bill was enacted.

   The HIV prevalence rate among homosexual men in the Ugandan capital of Kampala is 13 percent, about double the national average, according to the U.S.-based advocacy group Health GAP. It said in a statement that the court's decision was "a crucial development for increased access" to life-saving health services.

   "This is a great day for social justice," Michel Sidibé, the executive director of the United Nations AIDS agency, said of the Ugandan court's decision. "The rule of law has prevailed."

  

Tanzania Haitalazimishwa Kukubali Haki za Mashoga!!

Mashoga

Tanzania stands firm on aid-gay rights spat with UK

By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala | Reuters – Fri, Nov 4, 2011

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania has become the latest African government to say it will not legalise homosexuality even if that means it loses substantial financial aid from Britain.

Government officials reacted strongly to Prime Minister David Cameron's threat to cut aid to countries that deny gay rights.

"Tanzania will never accept Cameron's proposal because we have our own moral values. Homosexuality is not part of our culture and we will never legalise it," foreign affairs minister Bernard Membe was quoted as saying by Tanzania's Guardian newspaper.

"We are not ready to allow any rich nation to give us aid based on unacceptable conditions simply because we are poor. If we are denied aid by one country, it will not affect the economic status of this nation and we can do without UK aid."

Tanzania, a former British colony and one of Africa's biggest per capita aid recipients, received $453 million (282 million pounds) of aid for its 2011/12 budget, with Britain the largest provider of general budget support.

Ghana's President John Atta Mills said Wednesday his government would never legalise homosexuality. Uganda has also reacted strongly to Cameron's comments.

The Department for International Development (DFID) gave Tanzania 144 million pounds in aid in 2009/10 and has pledged to spend an average of 161 million pounds per year in Tanzania until 2015.

Homosexuality is a serious criminal offence in Tanzania, punishable by imprisonment, but no one has been prosecuted.

"We cannot be directed by the United Kingdom to do things that are against our set laws, culture and regulations," Membe was quoted as saying.

Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein also rejected the British demands for gay rights to be respected in Tanzania.

"We have strong Islamic and Zanzibari culture that abhors gay and lesbian activities, and to anyone who tells us that development support is linked to accepting this we are saying no," Shein told journalists Thursday.

Zanzibar, Tanzania's semi-autonomous archipelago, enacted a law in 2004 banning homosexual relations. Male offenders face more jail time, up to 25 years, than convicted women.

Homosexuality is illegal in 37 African countries, and rights groups say gays are often the targets of violent hate campaigns.

(Additional reporting by Ally Saleh in Zanzibar; Editing by Richard Lough and Robert Woodward)

Fesheni 'GawaKundu' Yaleta Matatizo!

Hii fesheni ya kutangaza kuwa unagawa mkundu, umemletea mtu mwingine matatizo hapa Marekani.

Leo kuna habari kuwa mwimbaji Billie Joe Armstrong wa bendi Green Day alifukuzwa kwenye ndege ya Southwest Airlines alipokataa kupandisha suruali yake zilizokuwa fesheni GawaKundu. Alikuwa anasafiri kutoka Oakland, California kwenda Burbank, California. Soma habari kamili kwa kubofya HAPA.

Msemaji wa Southwest anasema kuwa Armstrong aliruhusiwa kupanda ndege nyingine. Nadhani kwa vile mzungu.

Kuna kijana mwingine mweusi ambaye alifungwa mwaka huu kwa vile alijaribu kupanada ndege ya US Airways na fesheni GawaKundu. Deshon Marman ambaye ni mwanafunzi wa Chuo Kikuu cha New Mexico na pia mcheza football alikamatwa na kushitakiwa kwa makosa kadhaa ya jinai.

Lakini ajabu, kuna mwanaume wa kizungu aliyeruhusiwa kupanda ndege ya US Airways akiwa amevaa chupi ya kike na sidiria tu!

Soma habari ya Marman na Bikini Man kwa kubofya HAPA:


US Airways wamefuta mashitaka dhidi ya Marman, lakini keshateseka na kuaibika, na pia hawajamrudishia nauli ya $500 wala kumwomba msamaha! Wanasema kuwa Crew walikuwa na haki ya kufukuza kwenye ndege. Ukiwa mtu mwenye rangi Marekani ushike adabu ukipanda kwenye ndege asante 9/11! Sasa hao crew ya ndege wanaweza kukufukuza kwenye ndege hata wasipopenda sura yako!

Kwa habari zaidi ya kesi ya kijana Marman tembelea:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/peninsula/2011/07/deshon-marman-sue-us-airways-after-saggy-pants-arrest

NOTE: Fesheni GawaKundu si mbayawakati mwingine, nimeshaona matako ya vijana wengi wa kizungu, weusi na waAsia baada ya suruali zao kuanguka wakiwa wanatembea!!! LOL!

Weusi, Mashoga waongoza kwa UKIMWI Marekani

Hizi takrimu zinatisha! Yaani mtu mweusi ana chance kubwa ya kupata UKIMWI kuliko watu wengine Marekani. Duh! Ni kweli huu ugonjwa ulitengenezwa kwenye maabara kwa nia ya kumaliza weusi duniani!

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CDC: Blacks, gays at high risk for new HIV infections

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Young black gay men, black women and white gay men in their 30s and 40s are much more likely to be newly infected with HIV than other groups in the United States, according to a new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The analysis -- based on figures showing that the HIV infection rate for 2006 is much worse than previously thought -- looks at the number of new HIV infections and who gets them. The study appears in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

It shows 53 percent of the estimated 56,000 cases of new HIV infection in 2006 were among gay and bisexual men, and 46 percent of the infections occurred among blacks. Within the gay and bisexual group, young black men (13 to 29 years old ) were roughly twice as likely to get infected as young white and young Hispanic men. And among women, black women were almost 15 times more likely to get HIV than white women and almost four times more likely than Hispanic women.

These new figures -- highlighting which age, gender and racial groups are at higher risk -- are based on data released by the CDC in August. Those numbers showed that new HIV infections for 2006 were 40 percent higher than the CDC had previously estimated. See the new analysis of HIV data »

"The new analysis include a wealth of information, but there are three big take-aways," according to Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at the CDC.

"First, the number of new HIV infections among young black [gay and bisexual men] is alarming and shows the need to reach each new generation with prevention early in their lives. Second, the heavy impact of HIV infection in white [gay and bisexual men] in older age groups demonstrates the need for ongoing efforts to keep gay and bisexual men HIV-free over the course of their lifetime. A third finding: compared to women of all races, black women bear the heaviest burden of HIV," Fenton said.

The higher rate of new HIV infections among young gay black men and black women comes as no surprise to Phill Wilson, the CEO and founder of Black AIDS Institute, a think-tank based in Los Angeles, California. "Basically, it affirms what we have known for a long time and what we have been telling the CDC for a very long time," Wilson said.

The CDC study didn't examine the specific factors that account for the heavy burden of HIV among young black gay men, but the CDC has theories.

"Other data suggest a range of possible factors," said Richard Wolitski, acting director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at CDC.

"They include stigma, lack of access to effective HIV prevention services and underestimation of personal risk. In addition, many younger men have not personally experienced the severity of the early AIDS epidemic."

Wolitski said differences in the frequency of high-risk sexual behavior and substance use do not account for this disparity.

White gay and bisexual men account for close to half, or 46 percent, of HIV incidence among gay and bisexual men, but the majority of new infections occurred in men in their 30s, followed by men in the 40s, the CDC found.

"A range of factors likely contribute to continued transmission in these age groups," said Wolitski, noting the marked difference in age at the time of infection in the different racial groups. "They include the difficulty of consistently maintaining safer behaviors for many years or even decades, as well as homophobia, substance abuse and higher HIV prevalence within this group."

Among Hispanic gay and bisexual men, most new infections occurred in the young age group, like blacks, but at much lower rates.

Black women are also disproportionately at risk of HIV infection.

"Based on the incidence estimates released last month, we already know that African Americans overall accounted for 45 percent of new HIV infection in 2006, while representing only 12 percent of the U.S. population," Wolitski said. "[The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report's] data show that while there were fewer new HIV infections among black women than there were among black men, black women were far more affected by HIV than women of other races."

"A range of issues may contribute to the disproportionate HIV risk for African-Americans in the United States, including poverty, stigma, limited access to health care, [an already existing] higher HIV prevalence among African-Americans, higher rates of other STDs and drug abuse. Many black women face additional challenges such as power imbalances with men in sexual relationships, which can limit their ability to protect themselves, like using condoms," Wolitski said.

The CDC hopes that these new figures can help it target education and prevention efforts to specific populations.

"Today's analysis serves as a powerful reminder that the United States epidemic of HIV is far from over and that we all need to do more," Fenton said. "The U.S. epidemic will end only when all of us -- federal, state and local government; politicians, communities, businesses, social and civic organizations; schools, families and individuals across the nation -- realize that ending AIDS is possible and then collectively commit to make that happen."

Wilson, while hopeful that the new figures will bring new attention to an old problem, is less sanguine. He notes that the U.S. doesn't spend enough resources to end the HIV epidemic, that the money doesn't target the groups at highest risk, and that it doesn't use organizations with proven track record of reaching and mobilizing the black community.

"When it comes to black America, we continue to be an afterthought when it comes to HIV prevention," Wilson said.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/12/hiv.blacks.gays/index.html

Aibu! Senator Ajiuzulu baada ya kufanya mambo ya kishoga chooni!

Makubwa! Kumbe huko chooni kwa wanaume kuna mambo. Ukiona mwanaume anagonga gonga mguu, au kupitisha mkono wake chini ya kitenganisho au kucheki nani kakaa kwenye choo ni ishara za kishoga!

Bila shaka mmesikia kuwa Senator Larry Craig, wa Idaho amejiuzulu leo baada ya skandali iliyompata. Akiwa safarini alipatwa na nyege choo huko kwenye uwanja wa ndege ya Minneapolis Minnesota. Sasa akawa anamtafuta mtu wa kumridhisha. Alidhani kampata kumbe anaopoa polisi aliyevaa kiraia! Polisi huyo alimkamata na Senator Craig alikiri mashtaka dhidi yake na kulipa faini na kukwepa kufunga jela. Alikiri kwa vile alidhani mambo yataisha pale. Kumbe kuna gazeti iliyokuwa inasaka habari zake. Ndo hao waliotoa habari za maovu yake na kukamtwa kwake huko Minneapolis.

Kichekesho zaidi, alidai kuwa aligonga mguu wa huyo polisi aliyekaa choo cha pili kwa vile, akisimama kukojoa anapanua miguu sana. Waandishi wa habri walifanya majribio na kuona haiwezekani hasa kama umeshusha suruali kwenye magoti!

Hayo mambo yapo sehemu nyingi hapa Marekani, lakini kitu ambacho nimechukia kuhusu Senator Craig ni kuwa ni Mnafiki mkubwa! Nasema ni mnafiki kwa sababu alikuwa anakashifu mambo ya kishoga na kupinga mambo ya ndoa za wasenge, na kujidai ni mtakatifu. Kumbe yeye ni moja wao. Hivyo yule shoga aliyejitokeza na kusema kuwa alifanya mapenzi na Senator Craig chooni Washington D.C. mwaka jana hakuwa mwongo.

Na mjue kuwa Republicans wenzake walimlazimisha kujiuzulu maana ni aibu kubwa, na hawataki kukosa kura kwenye uchaguzi ujao. Haya Senator Craig, sasa mambo yako wazi, hivyo vaa gauni, sidiria, na wigi na ufanye unavyotaka. Mambo yako hayako kwenye closet tena.

Kwa kweli lazima tuwahurumie familia yake, maana kwa hapa Marekani ni kashfa nzito. Ana mke, watoto na wajukuu.

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/01/craig.arrest/index.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/01/america/31cndcraig.php

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2003858123_craig29.html

Wasenge sasa ruksa kufunga ndoa Iowa!

Groom & Groom

Bride & Bride!

Bibi Arusi na Bibi Arusi, Bwana Arusi na Bwana Arusi

Huko Iowa leo hao wapenda jinsia moja (wasenge) Gays/lesbos wamepewa ruksa na mahakama kufunga ndoa leo. Hata saa haijapita tayari wamekwishaanza kufunga ndoa. Huko Iowa mzoee mkuona wanaume wanapiga tongue kiss na wananume na wanawake wanapiga na wanawake.

Mahakama ya huko Iowa pia imesema kuwa ndoa si kati ya mwanaume na mwanamke tu. Haya sasa tungojee kusikia watu wamepewa ruksa kufnga ndoa na mbwa, farasi au mnyama mwingine.

Hapa kwetu Massachusetts wana ruksa tayari. Matokeo yake ni kuwa wasenge wankimbilia toka states zingine hapa. Wananua condos na nymba hata iwe na bei gani kusudi wapate residency ya Massachusetts na wafunge ndoa. Na wengine wamefunga ndoa na kuomba talaka, Divorce.

Sehemu zingine hapa Massachusetts kama wewe si msenge, basi ni shida kukaa maana kuna reverse discrimination, gari yako itachomwa moto au unaweza kupigwa. Sodom & Gomorrah!

Na huko makazini usiseme kitgu kibaya juu yao maana utafukuzwa kazi. Hapa kazini kwangu kuna dada fulani ni lesbo. Hajifichi, anavaa kama dume, anatembea kama dume, nywele anakata kidume, na anajitahidi kweli kuwa mwanaume. Ila ana suati laini ya kike, inamlkera kweli. Si mtu mbaya, ila anachoniudhi ni kuja na kutusimulia alikuwa anafanya nini na mpenzi wake, mpaka saa ngapi, walichoka saa ngapi, walifanya nini na nini. Mara sijui kamtamni mwanamke gani, mara nini. Mara nyingi inabidi nitoke nje kwa kushindwa kuvuimilia maongezi yake.

Lakini nimekwisha fanya kazi nao wengi na wengi ni watu poa sana hawana matatizo, wala hawasumbui watu. Na hata sisi watu straight tuko hivyo wengine, ni watu wazuri wengine wan matatizo, na wengine wanasimulia mambo yao mpaka nini na nini.

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Judge Strikes Down Iowa Gay Marriage Ban
Friday August 31, 2007 1:31 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Less than two hours after a judge struck down Iowa's decade-old gay marriage ban, two Des Moines men applied for a marriage license as bride and groom, and county officials said they expected to see more same-sex couples doing the same on Friday.

`I started to cry because we so badly want to be able to be protected if something happens to one of us,'' said David Curtis Rethmeier, 29, who was listed as the bride on that first marriage form, with Gary Allen Seronko, 51, as his groom.

Polk County Judge Robert Hanson cleared the way for the two men on Thursday when he ruled that a state law allowing marriage only between a man and woman violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection.

The judge ordered local officials to process marriage licenses for the six gay couples who sued. With the ruling, gay couples across the state can now apply for a marriage license in the central-Iowa county.

County attorney John Sarcone said the county would appeal to the state Supreme Court, and he immediately sought a stay from Hanson that would prevent gay couples from seeking a marriage license until the appeal is resolved.

A hearing on the stay motion is likely next week, said Camilla Taylor, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization.

In the meantime, Deputy County Recorder Trish Umthun is taking calls from gay couples, five of them in the first hours after the judge filed his ruling Thursday afternoon.

The office's web site explaining how to apply for a marriage license still began with the words, ``Marriages in Iowa are between a male and a female ...,'' on Friday morning, but Umthun expected a rush of applications through the day. The marriage license approval process takes three business days.

Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

``I can't believe this is happening in Iowa,'' Rants said. ``I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January,'' when the Legislature convenes.

Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Dennis Johnson, the lawyer for the six gay couples who sued in 2005 after they were denied marriage licenses, had argued that Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender.

The Defense of Marriage Act, which the Legislature passed in 1998 declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman, contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply ``mean spirited,'' he said.

Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue is not for a judge to decide.