Stu Allen describes himself as “a 23-year-old kid who just got (ticked) off watching the news” about California voters overturning that state’s Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage was a constitutional right.
Calling themselves “Yes on Equal Rights,” he and his girlfriend, Crystal Russell, 22, relied on Google searches and the how-to guide on the Secretary of State’s website to launch an initiative to put same-sex marriage on the 2010 ballot.
The initiative officially failed late last month for lack of money and signatures.
But politicians from both sides of the aisle say efforts like Allen’s illustrate a departure from previous generations, where today’s 20-somethings aim to make their mark on the political landscape earlier and with a more egalitarian view on such issues as same-sex marriage.
State Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, opposes gay marriage but sees upcoming generations who don’t understand why it’s controversial.
“They’re pretty libertarian about it,” Brophy said. “A lot of them, even the ones who are really politically active, see it as kind of a nothing issue.”
Allen’s is one of at least three recent ballot efforts by Coloradans younger than 25 years old.
Kristi Burton became a novelty for her youth last year when she successfully got a spot on the 2008 ballot for an amendment aimed at ending abortion, which voters later defeated. She was 20.
And three college students from Fort Collins began earlier this year pushing a ballot initiative to allow civil unions. They shelved their effort because of an unfavorable political climate, said leader Joe Peterson, 20.
Allen, a golf-club salesman, emerged slightly jaded to the political process but equally confident that same-sex marriage will soon be the norm.
“I see it as our generation’s civil-rights movement,” Allen said. “It seems contradictory to the way I view America. It’s supposed to be the place where everyone’s free, everyone’s equal — except when it comes to homosexuals?”
He was surprised to find that while so many people in the gay community supported his concept — removing gender distinctions from the constitutional definition of marriage — few were willing to give financial support or volunteer.
Colorado in 2006 defined marriage as between a man and woman and defeated a plan to allow civil unions. The state needs a “cooling-off period,” according to state Sen. Pat Steadman, a longtime champion of gay rights who advised Allen on the language of the initiative.
Steadman didn’t think Allen’s initiative would make it, but he said upstarts like Allen can play an important role in the political community.
“I’m willing to be patient. That’s something that comes with age,” said Steadman, D-Denver. “But I appreciate young people not willing to be patient and all the energy they bring.”
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
