Gay marriage now legal in Colorado

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Tuesday.

The news came after Colorado Attorney General John Suthers ordered all Colorado clerks to start issuing those licenses.

Suthers said all of the state’s 64 counties must issue the licenses to couples now that the Colorado Supreme Court has lifted previous orders against it. Those orders were the final obstacles to gay marriage becoming law in the state.

At Centennial Hall in Colorado Springs, one of four locations in the county where licenses are now issued, at least two couples paid a $30 fee to obtain the certificate.

One of the couples is Susan Scott, 65, and Casey Tencick, 56. The partners have been together for 20 years and have their wedding planned for this weekend.

“(The gay marriage issue) started out as a renewal of vows,” Tencick said. “Then it was a civil union and now it’s full marriage. It seems as though in two weeks, it all just flew by.”

Another couple, Amadis Zamarron, 31, and Alisa Gonzales, 40, have been together for more than a year and eagerly anticipated the approval of same-sex marriage licenses.

It’s just a big relief,” Zammaron said.

“It’s like a weight off our shoulders,” Gonzales said. “But I wish my father could have seen it. He passed away in February.”

Pueblo County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court decided against considering the issue.

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office said it wanted to wait until getting the go ahead from the attorney general’s office.

“Our office consistently works to enforce the laws as set by lawmakers and the judiciary,” said Ryan Parsell, public information officer. “We greatly appreciate the understanding and patience of those seeking these licenses as we awaited the legal clearance from the Attorney General’s Office.”