SIOUX CITY, IA -
The fight over Iowa's same-sex marriage law is taking to the streets.
Familiar political messages are popping up just about everywhere these days, they're even front and center at a parade near you.
Wednesday's River-Cade Parade in downtown Sioux City featured two floats that have people talking.
One supports marriage between a man and a woman, the other supports gay marriage.
Folks on both sides say it's not about the politics, it's about getting people interested in the issues.
When you see the floats and the people, you'd better make way for the River-Cade parade, a summertime staple in Siouxland.
But this year some of the floats took more of a political twist.
"We've been doing parades since 2010," said John Wacker, with the Common Sense Political Action Committee. "This is old news for us."
The committee sponsored a float in the River-Cade Parade encouraging folks to vote on the issue of same-sex marriage in Iowa.
It got people talking after it was in the "Big Parade" July 6th, but its supporters insist it isn't meant to be offensive.
"We know there's people on the other side of the issue, we're not trying to offend them," said Wacker. "We're just here to educate people, we want people to get more involved in our state government."
The folks on the other side of the issue decided to take a stand with a display of their own, hoping to remind folks of one thing.
"I have the right to choose what kind of lifestyle I'd like to live," said Diane Riley, a member of Siouxland's gay community.
The display supports the gay community, but like the folks on the other float, those supporters say they don't mean to be offensive.
"What we're trying to remind the community is first: the fact that we all exist here in Siouxland, we all pay taxes, and we all have a right to live as human beings," said Riley.
But it really boils down to the audience, the folks out in the heat watching the parade.
Do they mind if their summertime staple takes a turn for the political?
"You have to have your own entitlement," said Chelsea Hariluk, moments after the River-Cade Parade ended. "They had a right to put it in the parade, go ahead, so long as both sides of the spectrum are presented I have no problem here."
The people behind the Common Sense PAC float say it's been all over the state and it'll probably make many more appearance at parades around Iowa.
