Clela Rorex was a pioneering LGBTQ+ ally and my dear friend. In March 1975, Clela issued the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in the United States. Her decision that day changed her life and was a pivotal moment in the decades long struggle for marriage equality.
June 26 is the anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, which made marriage equality the law of the land in the U.S. Despite this, Colorado passed a constitutional amendment in 2006 defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
That constitutional amendment is still on the books, but we, as voters, have the opportunity to remove it from our constitution. Unless we do that, there are no state protections for any same-sex couple in Colorado who wants to get married in the future if Obergefell v. Hodges is overturned.
Together with Rocky Mountain Equality Action Fund, Rocky Mountain Equality is launching a new advocacy action network across the State of Colorado so that you can be like Clela, an early champion for marriage equality.
Sign up today for the Clela Corps and become an ally in action. I invite you to be an ally to our community, an ally to our transgender siblings who are under attack, and an ally to the queer and trans people of color who are disproportionately impacted by hateful policies and acts of violence.
You can be an ally to other members of the LGBTQ+ community even if you are a member of the community yourself. I consider myself an ally to the transgender community and to LGBTQ+ people of color. I know that their struggles are different from mine, but I stand with them. Either all of us are safe, or none of us are.
Join us today. We can make a difference.