Statewide Marriage Campaign Issues Statement on Federal Ruling Striking Down Colorado's Marriage Ban

July 23, 2014
DENVER – Today, U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore declared Colorado’s marriage ban unconstitutional -- the latest of dozens of state and federal rulings striking down similar bans across the country. State Attorney General John Suthers has continued to defend Colorado's ban, despite acknowledging that it is likely to be overturned in the end. Suthers has already wasted taxpayer dollars on the appeal of the state-level ruling, and he has indicated that he intends to waste further state resources on an appeal of today's federal decision. Were he to drop his needless appeals in these cases, marriage equality would come to the Centennial State.
In response to these developments, Wendy Howell, State Director of Why Marriage Matters Colorado – the broad coalition working to secure the freedom to marry for all committed couples in the state – released the following statement:
"Today, Judge Moore affirmed what Adams County District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree, the justices of the 10th Circuit Court, and dozens of other judges nationwide have decided: marriage bans are unconstitutional. We applaud his ruling as another step forward for equality, and we continue to call upon Attorney General John Suthers to drop his wasteful defense of Colorado’s unconstitutional ban.
"Republican governors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada have all decided to stop wasting taxpayer dollars continuing to defend indefensible bans in their states. Here in Colorado, real couples are hurt every day that they are denied the ability to marry, and there is no justifiable reason to prolong that pain. Therefore, we again call upon Suthers to drop his appeals and let the rulings stand.
"Many organizations, leaders, and taxpayers in Colorado have called upon the Attorney General to drop his unnecessary appeals and let the freedom to marry come to Colorado. Most recently, more than 5,000 Coloradans signed a petition calling on Suthers to drop his appeal in the state court case -- those petition signatures were delivered last Thursday to his Denver office by a delegation of impacted couples, members of the state legislature, faith leaders, and other community leaders."