On Tuesday, a trio of Iowa Supreme Court justices were removed by voters after a $1 million campaign by religious right groups who oppose same-sex marriage, The three judges had ruled against the state’s ban on gay marriage making Iowa an island of equality in the Midwest. But Tuesday also brought big gains for Republicans in the state who want to make gay marriage illegal again. Whether they will be successful is up in the air.

The ousting of the three judges was orchestrated by national religious right groups: Mississippi-based American Family Association, Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, Georgia-based Faith & Freedom Coalition and New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage.

While the religious right may have won the day at the judicial level, the Iowa Supreme Court won’t be ruling on on the issue again anytime soon, but the Legislature might.

The fact is, as of Thursday, control of the Iowa Legislature is unclear. The Iowa House is solidly Republican, but the Senate seems to have a one-Democrat lead, though recounts are likely in some races.

Democratic leaders say they will continue to fight off attempts to make gay marriage illegal.

Gronstal believes [doing] the right thing means protecting the civil rights of gays and lesbians. He reaffirmed Wednesday that he won’t bow to pressure, no matter how nasty it gets.

“The easy political thing for me to do years ago would have been to say, ‘Oh, let’s let this thing go. It’s just too political and too messy,’ ” Gronstal said. “What’s ugly is giving up what you believe in, that everybody has the same rights. Giving up on that? That’s ugly.”

For thousands of LGBT Minnesotans who hold legal marriage certificates in Iowa, this is an issue we’ll be watching.