BOULDER- The Boulder County Clerk's office handed out two same-sex marriage licenses on Tuesday. Denver County issued two as well. It's a small number but the clerks and recorders say that's a good thing.
"It's no big hurry now. People can take their time," Denver Clerk and Recorder Debra Johnson said."They can plan a wedding, they can plan an event, instead of just coming in, rushing and hurrying before the next stay is put out."
This comes a day after the US Supreme Court decided not to hear any of the same-sex marriage cases in front of them. In turn, lower court rulings remained intact and gay marriage became legal.
However, when Adams, Boulder, and Denver counties began issuing licenses several months ago, a stay was put in place and counties could not resume issuing licenses until those stays were lifted. When they were lifted on Tuesday it did not take long for Attorney General John Suthers to issue a statement.
"There are no remaining legal requirements that prevent same-sex couples from legally marrying in Colorado," Suthers said in a news release. "Beginning [Tuesday,] Colorado's 64 county clerks are legally required to issue licenses to same-sex couples who request them. In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is required to register such marriages in the records of the State of Colorado."
9NEWS spoke with one of the two couples to get their marriage licenses in Boulder County. Emmanuel Del Mundo and Jonathan Norris were planning on heading to New Mexico to get married but when they heard they could now get their marriage license in Boulder, they did just that.
"To see how far we've come, since racism, women's rights, now same sex marriage; It's great how we've advanced," Norris said.
Back in Denver, Debra Johnson is simply happy to see that issuing gay marriage licenses is business as usual in her office.
"It's been a rollercoaster. It's been a waiting game. It seems like every legal battle that could happen has happened. And now they've all been lifted," she said.
Some paperwork will change to make the process exactly the same for gay and straight couples. In Denver County for example, the online application currently askes applicants to define themselves as a man or a woman. The changes will now make those titles "party one" or "party two."
(KUSA-TV © 2014 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
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