The debate over gay marriage has reached epic levels of intensity after the passage of Proposition 8 in California, a constitutional amendment that overturned a Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage.
It is worth remembering, however, that despite the bluster and recrimination, there is a continuing and unstoppable trend in the nation to accept gays and lesbians as equal members of society. A new Harris Polling Organization survey of our attitudes once again demonstrates growing national tolerance. Better yet, it shows that Colorado outpaces the rest of the nation.
On nearly every issue concerning gay Americans — civil unions, hate-crime laws and adoption issues — Coloradans topped the national average.
To give the survey some context, however, it should be noted that it was funded by Gill Foundation, an organization which was founded by Colorado’s Tim Gill and supports national legislative efforts to further gay, lesbian and transgender causes. Secondly, there is a tendency among some voters to tell pollsters one thing and vote quite differently. In recent years, voters have shot down initiatives in state after state (red and blue) in favor of gay marriage, civil unions and gay adoption, even after polls showed a favorable outcome.
Nevertheless, every sign points to a generational shift on the issue. And it’s not only generational. According, to the Harris poll, 21 percent of Coloradans have a more favorable attitude towards gays in the past five years. Sixteen percent have a worse attitude.
Of Colorado respondents, most favored expanding existing hate-crime laws, which, in most cases, already deal with offenses committed against a person because of race, religion, color or national origin, to include violent crimes against gay or transgendered people. In addition, 66 percent of Coloradans favor allowing openly gay citizens to serve in the armed forces.
Regardless of how many us struggle with the traditional and religious implications of same-sex marriage, most Coloradans support some form of civil unions for domestic partnerships, which would offer same-sex couples the legal rights that married couples already enjoy.
We understand that allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry will, unquestionably, remain a contentious issue in the coming years, but there are few reasons not to allow civil unions.
It is a matter of equality. Pure and simple.
So we urge the Democratic legislature and Gov. Bill Ritter to take up the issue of civil unions. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it would help Colorado avoid a nasty and divisive debate in the near future.
