On the first anniversary of the freedom to marry coming to Colorado, it should not go unnoticed that every single county clerk in our state issued marriage licenses in accordance with the law, despite any personal beliefs a particular clerk may hold. While it may seem unnecessary to state the obvious, to abide by the law is the standard to which we are all held responsible and accountable in the United States. Period.
Marriage is a civil act – separate from a religious ceremony where a couple may be married in a church of their choosing. The fight for the freedom to marry was not a fight for the right to marry in a church or ceremony sanctioned by any particular religion. The First Amendment guarantees that churches can choose whether or not to marry members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community. The basic civil right to marry – religious ceremonies aside – now belongs to all Coloradans, and that’s something to celebrate.
We live in a country where matters of church and state remain separate. A small handful of clerks across the country have disregarded the rule of law and refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It is commendable that this is not the case in Colorado. However, Durango’s own state representative would have it otherwise. J. Paul Brown sponsored a bill this legislative session that would not only have allowed our county clerks to claim their religion gives them permission to ignore laws they don’t like, but would have allowed individuals to claim that any number of laws don’t apply to them.
Despite the fact that discrimination continues to exist on many levels against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in healthcare, housing and employment, the right to marry is now afforded to all. A defining moment in history, the fight for marriage spoke volumes about our civil rights, not just as members of the LGBT community, but as U.S. citizens.
Barbara Balaguer and Charlotte Overby
Durango
