Downtown rallies for marriage equality

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DENVER-His story is the same as many others.  He met someone, they started talking, went on several dates and eventually fell in love. Two Boston terriers and a house later, he plans to marry the love of his life next summer. However, right now in Colorado, his fairytale has a cloud that hangs over. His marriage will not be legal because his fiancé is a man named Tim.

Hundreds of Coloradans from across the state gathered downtown on April 9 at the steps of the Byron White Federal Courthouse to rally for marriage equality.

One Colorado organized the gathering to support three same-sex couples from Utah who were in Denver for oral arguments before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in the landmark case that would strike down the state’s marriage ban.

“The time has come,” said Senator Pat Steadman. “It is time for marriage equality here in the 10^th circuit and clear across the country.”

Colorado and Utah are both in the 10^th circuit. A decision in the Utah case could ripple out to Colorado and the remaining states covered in the 10^th Circuit-Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

The message the rally wanted to convey is simple. Equality needs to exist for gays, lesbians and their extended communities because, “we live the same, we laugh the same, we cry the same, we feel the same, we hurt the same and we love the same,”  said Marriage Equality Colorado leader Jeff Allen.

The event lasted about 45 minutes and included seven speakers who shared some of their personal reasons for defending marriage equality. A few of them represented a smaller, less likely demographic of supporter.

Noting that she does not know who her own toddler will grow up to marry, United Methodist clergywoman Rev. Laura Rossbert said allowing same-sex marriage, “would tell Harper and all of our children and grandchildren, that here in Colorado, we believe in treating others the way we would want to be treated ourselves. No one should be told it is illegal to make a commitment to the one that they love.”

Republicans are not usually associated with the liberal views and issues of the GLBTQ community. There is, however, a growing number of conservative supporters.

“It’s not the proper role of government to define marriage. Period. The freedom to marry the person you love should not be denied to anyone,” said Denver Metro Young Republican board member Joe Megyesy.

Maggie Martin-Eyl has been married to her wife Jennifer Eyl since September 2013. The couple had to travel to Iowa in order to make their marriage legal. They would like to see the 10^th Circuit lift its bans on same-sex marriage.

“The Supreme Court would have to allow it in every state. It would be huge,” said Martin-Eyl.

The panel of judges who heard the oral arguments for the Utah case will listen to Oklahoma’s gay marriage case this week.