One day after a major Supreme Court move that led to the immediate legalization of same-sex marriage in five states, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers cleared the way for gay marriage in the state.
In a brief statement, Suthers told county clerks in Denver, Boulder and Adams county to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses on Tuesday.
“There are no remaining legal requirements that prevent same-sex couples from legally marrying in Colorado. Beginning today, Colorado’s 64 county clerks are legally required to issue licenses to same-sex couples who request them,” he said. “In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is required to register such marriages in the records of the State of Colorado.”
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected appeals to hear same-sex marriage cases out of Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin — all of which saw their bans fall in federal district and appeals courts. The move immediately legalizes marriage equality in those five states.
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After Colorado’s decision to recognize marriage for same-sex couples, five more states are expected to join: Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. That would bring the total number of states where gay and lesbian couples can wed to 30 — more than half the nation.
Anna Brand