After a judge gave the go ahead to the Boulder County Clerk to continue to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples yesterday, it seems to be spreading.
Denver has now thrown open the doors to same sex couples.
LGBTQ Nation reports:
Denver’s clerk and recorder says she will issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the state’s ban on gay marriage. Debra Johnson announced her decision shortly after a judge ruled that her counterpart in the liberal college town of Boulder can continue to grant gay marriage licenses.
The Stamford Advocate notes that Pueblo County is now issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples too:
An hour after the ruling, Denver’s clerk said she would join her counterpart in the liberal college town of Boulder in providing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Pueblo County’s clerk said he will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses Friday morning.
9 News offers this status report of some of Colorado’s other counties:
Arapahoe County: Officials will not issue same-sex marriage licenses.
Douglas County: The County Clerk and Recorder is in the process of “seeking an interpretation” of the ruling from the County Attorney and others, and will later make a decision about the next step.
Larimer County: The County Clerk is in contact with her legal counsel, but says the county is not making a move at this point.
Broomfield County: Taking the issue under legal advisement before making a decision.
Towleroad.com has their own list of counties definitely not issuing licenses at this point:
At least four counties — El Paso, Arapahoe, Jefferson and Weld counties — said they had no plans to follow suit.
As Edge Boston reports, the marriages may be on shaky ground:
[Judge] Hartman found the marriage licenses weren’t hurting anyone and were an acceptable form of civil disobedience. However, he required all couples to be warned their marriage might have no legal value if a court later upholds the state’s ban. His decision left clerks around the state trying to figure out what to do next. Mesa County Clerk Sheila Reiner said clerks had to balance the risks of issuing licenses that might become invalid with violating people’s rights by declining to do so. “It’s sort of a rock and a hard place,” she said.
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers will appeal. Pink News reports:
Colorado’s Attorney General John Suthers has also vowed to appeal to higher courts the ruling allowing Hall to continue issuing the marriage licences, as well as a separate ruling on Wednesday which struck down Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage.
This is all starting to feel a lot like New Mexico – will the state Supreme Court step in soon to clear it all up?
Find more articles and gay wedding resources in Colorado.
Map via US census. Note: green = giving out licenses now; yellow = considering; red = decided not to
