DENVER – Four Corners gay-rights advocates and their allies say the landmark and historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday extending gay marriage nationwide secures equal rights, dignity and justice.
But the struggle following the 5-4 ruling continues, even though for at least one day, love was certainly in the air.
Barbara Balaguer, chairwoman of Four Corners Alliance for Diversity, said that her friend Lucy West wrote on Facebook: “I just drove to work for the very first time in my entire life as a fully equal citizen of the United States of America. I have the biggest smile on my face and a huge lump in my throat.”
Balaguer said: “On that level, that’s just huge to have the Supreme Court of the United States just completely bring this conversation to the forefront of American consciousness and to recognize that we are equal.”
In Colorado, gay marriage has been legal since last year after lower court rulings that overturned the state’s ban on gay marriage. In fact, 36 states and the District of Columbia have allowed gay marriage. The court’s ruling sweeps the remaining 14 states in with the rest of the nation. It also offers a more than symbolic stamp of approval.
But for many, the announcement comes as a mixed bag of emotions. For decades, gay and lesbian couples have operated in the shadows of society, often afraid to come out to even their closest friends and family members. The ruling Friday caused many to reflect on that struggle.
“It’s mixed in the sense that discrimination obviously exists, and gender bias and race discrimination – all forms of discrimination continue to exist on many levels in our country,” Balaguer said. “This is certainly a very joyous moment. ... On the other hand, there’s still that desire to want to continue to inform and educate and bring awareness to the fact that ultimately those of us who have fought this battle, we are citizens, residents of this country who only wish to be treated like everyone else.”
The ruling will not take effect immediately, as the court must afford the losing side about three weeks to move for reconsideration. Observers, however, say it is unlikely that the court would reverse position. Clerks across the country have already begun issuing licenses, pointing out that there is now little risk in doing so.
The journey in Colorado has not been easy. Just nine years ago, voters backed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage.
Colorado was once known as a “hate state” within the gay community. In 1992, Colorado voters approved Amendment 2, adding language to the constitution prohibiting the state from allowing gay relationships and excluding gay people from anti-discrimination laws. High courts later overturned that effort, pointing to a violation of civil rights.
Within the last few years, however, momentum shifted. An attempt to allow same-sex civil unions began in 2011 at the Legislature. Both that year and 2012 those efforts failed. It was the 2012 effort that was most dramatic. The civil-unions bill had the votes to pass the Legislature with bipartisan support. But a handful of defiant Republicans controlling the House blocked the measure from receiving a last-minute vote, killing the civil-unions bill in a procedural move.
Outraged Democrats took their message to voters that year, taking back control of the House. And in 2013, Democrats were able to send a civil-unions measure to the governor for his signature. Since then, the state has not looked back.
Friday was especially wonderful for state Sen. Jessie Ulibarri of Westminster. He and his husband married last year shortly after the state began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Ulibarri celebrated his one-year anniversary with Louis Trujillo on Friday.
“It feels good to know that we will be treated as whole citizens regardless of the state we’re in at the time,” Ulibarri said.
“It was nice to have marriage equality in Colorado, but as we travel to every corner of the country, we can’t be denied our love for each other wherever we go in the U.S. It’s pretty amazing.”