The ACLU Foundation of Iowa is proud to announce that the 2011 Louise Noun Award will be presented to the three former Iowa Supreme Court justices, Marsha Ternus, David Baker, and Michael Streit, who were removed by voters last November in the wake of the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2009 historic ruling supporting marriage equality. They will be honored at the ACLU of Iowa annual dinner on Saturday, April 30.
The Louise Noun Award, named after the remarkable former president of the ACLU of Iowa, is presented to those who have made significant contributions to civil liberties in the state.
The keynote speaker will be Des Moines attorney Sharon Malheiro, a leading advocate in LGBT issues. Malheiro founded and is the chair of One Iowa, the largest statewide civil rights organization dedicated to LGBT issues in Iowa. She has been a significant force in achieving same-sex marriage equality in this state.
A former journalist, Malheiro joined the Davis Brown law firm in 1990. She was elected president of the firm’s board of directors earlier this year. Soon after joining the firm, Malheiro started working on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) issues. She worked to amend Des Moines’ human rights ordinance to include protections for gay and lesbian people, to introduce the Iowa Safe Schools legislation, and to add a LGBT amendment to the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
Dinner and program will be held at the University Athletic Club on the campus of the University of Iowa.
Reservations are requested by Tuesday, April 26. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $50.
