February 11, 2011 Guest opinion: Tolerance was lost in my homeland; will it be lost in my adopted home?

SUKU RADIA is the CEO of Bankers Trust, Iowa's largest community bank. Contact: sradia@bankerstrust.com. Iowans are among the best people I know. I have traveled to more than 60 countries, and I choose to live in Des Moines, my home for nearly 40 years. My wife and I raised our three children here and are proud to be part of this wonderful community and our great state. Of the many advantages to living in Iowa, one that I hold as both precious and powerful is our commitment to diversity. It makes our state different, and it makes our state better. Iowa was a leader in recognizing the rights of minorities, women, interracial couples and now same-sex marriage. I am proud of our leadership position in the protection of rights and our intolerance of discrimination. The approval of House Joint Resolution 6 in the House is a giant step backward. It puts the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian Iowans up for a vote, rather than allowing our constitution to protect their civil rights. I came to Iowa from Uganda, where I was born and raised, to attend Iowa State University. While I was attending college, Idi Amin, a brutal dictator, started driving "foreigners" out of Uganda. Even though my family had lived there for four generations, they were still considered foreigners because of their roots in India and were driven from Uganda. Many of our friends were killed. Imagine the contrast of living in Iowa, a state that actively embraces and gives a home to refugees and immigrants from all over the world, regardless of race, gender or religion. It has been my experience that Des Moines residents, in particular, are fierce in their acceptance of all people, offering help and support to any who may need it. In 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court thoughtfully concluded once again that Iowans will not discriminate, and ruled that banning marriage for gay and lesbian couples violated our constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law. In light of Iowa's consistent and extensive history of protecting human and civil rights, this was the right decision. Again, a study in contrasts, the current Ugandan president is supporting a bill that would put loving, same-sex couples in prison, or worse, to death. Gay and lesbian couples driven out of the country aren't safe; the Anti-Homosexuality Bill would make being gay an extraditable offense. Apparently, the message of tolerance has been lost in my former homeland. I feel a sense of real sadness when I hear my fellow Iowans advocating for a constitutional amendment that would take rights away from others - in this case the opportunity for marriage. In a state that has a history of openness, why would we send a message of intolerance? Nothing divides the generations like same-sex marriage. I believe the overwhelming support for civil marriage equality in people younger than 30 is telling: Our future includes married gay and lesbian couples. Why would we shift to "exclusion" from "inclusion"? If we want to retain and attract the younger generation here, if we want a state that continues to grow and thrive, we must offer young people the freedom to be who they are. We need only look to my former home of Uganda to see the horror that follows when people start legislating whose relationships and beliefs are right and whose are wrong. As a people who have always honored and celebrated diversity, we cannot regress by introducing discrimination into our constitution and into our great state. Let's cherish the rights we have today and ensure they will be here for everyone tomorrow - and always.