One interesting sidenote to today's Iowa court decision, which permitted gay marriages in Iowa.

It's this: Iowa is one of the few states where you do not have to be a resident in order to get married.

This means that gay couples from anywhere in the country can travel to Iowa for the weekend and get married.  Legally.

The next question on your lips, I suspect, is this: Does your home state have to recognize the Iowa marriage?

Well, we know that if a straight couple gets married in state X and then moves to state Y, state Y automatically recognizes the validity of that marriage.

Unfortunately, due to the passage of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, this does not apply to gay marriages.  And the federal government does not have to recognize gay marriages either (so don't count on that federal income tax break yet).

But here's the thing: DOMA may not be constitutional, and a court might strike it down (there are many court challenges out there).  And even if DOMA isn't struck down by the courts, the Obama administration has stated a commitment to repealing DOMA.

Anyway, for you gay couples out there, it may be worth the time to take a trip to Boise or whereever, and tie the knot.  You can then rightfully boast of having a legally-recognized marriage.  And you wouldn't be lying.