The
picture above is a couple and their son I met while volunteering at the annual
Denver Pride Fest in late June. They were one of the first couples to
receive a marriage license by the Denver County clerk after the 10th Circuit
Court of Appeals announced that Utah's ban on same-sex marriage was ruled
unconstitutional. Colorado is in the 10th Circuit.
I
stand up for them and countless other gay and lesbian couples because they are
being denied equal protection
as expressed by the 14th Amendment of our constitution which I swore to
support and defend
12 years ago this past 6 August.
As
of this time court rulings in the state court have ruled Colorado's 2006
ban on same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional. The rulings led to county
clerks in Denver, Boulder, and Pueblo to issue marriage licenses to same-sex
couples, but Attorney General John Suthers has issued a stay on those actions.
A
federal judge for the district of Colorado ruled that our
state's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. The judge
stayed his ruling until 25 August to allow defendants the chance to appeal this
case. Already the 10th Circuit ruled that Utah and Oklahoma banning same-sex couples
from marrying was unconstitutional so it is likely that the court would rule
the same for Colorado.
Those
cases might get heard by the Supreme Court as soon as this upcoming term, and
there could be a resolution on an issue that I have been involved in for the
last few years.
For
some, you know why I have been involved in this issue. The letter that appears
in the 10 August 2014
edition of the Denver Post explains why.
A federal judge in Colorado recently
ruled our state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. While state
Attorney General John Suthers is well within his right to appeal this decision,
his actions will waste taxpayers’ dollars and most importantly continue to
treat our fellow Coloradans with disrespect.
One year ago they took advantage of our
state’s civil union law. A civil union is a recognition of their relationship,
but it denies them the necessary legal protections that marriage provides. Our
ban on same-sex marriage treats our LGBT friends — and, in my case, family
members — as second-class citizens.
I served in the U.S. Navy from 2002-08.
The final line of the Sailor’s Creed is,
“I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.”
It is long overdue that we exhibit the
fair treatment of all.
Michael Watts
Veteran, US Navy 2002-08
Lone Tree, CO
Veteran, US Navy 2002-08
Lone Tree, CO
No comments:
Post a Comment