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Marriage Equality

WATCH: History Made, Tears Shed As Colorado Enacts Civil Unions

WATCH: History Made, Tears Shed As Colorado Enacts Civil Unions

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Statewide advocacy group One Colorado released a touching video documenting the moment civil unions became legal in Colorado on May 1.

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At midnight on May 1, Fran and Anna Simon became the first same-sex couple to be legally unionized under Colorado's civil union law, which the Governor signed into law March 21. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock presided over the couple's ceremony, as they were surrounded by friends, family, and reporters eager to document the historic moment.

More than 100 LGBT couples waited in a line that stretched around the block from the entrance to downtown Denver's Wellington Webb Municipal Building, to be among the first to take advantage of the new law, according to statewide advocacy group One Colorado, which released the video below capturing the moment civil unions took effect.

The Simons, who live in Denver and have a six-year-old son together, wore the same wedding gowns they wore when they held a religious ceremony before family and friends eight years earlier. Still, the midnight ceremony was meaningful to the couple.

"We have been waiting 10 years to have access to critical legal protections that will help protect our family," Fran told The Advocate. "Many other couples have waited much longer. We are so glad to finally have these protections and to have our family recognized under Colorado law. We wore our wedding gowns 8 years ago for our religious ceremony and we wore them again [that] night. We look forward to the day we can wear them a third time when we, and all loving, committed couples, have the freedom to marry. Hopefully, the gowns will still fit!"

Watch the video from One Colorado below.

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Sunnivie Brydum

Sunnivie is the managing editor of The Advocate, and an award-winning journalist whose passion is covering the politics of equality and elevating the unheard stories of our community. Originally from Colorado, she and her spouse now live in Los Angeles, along with their three fur-children: dogs Luna and Cassie Doodle, and "Meow Button" Tilly.
Sunnivie is the managing editor of The Advocate, and an award-winning journalist whose passion is covering the politics of equality and elevating the unheard stories of our community. Originally from Colorado, she and her spouse now live in Los Angeles, along with their three fur-children: dogs Luna and Cassie Doodle, and "Meow Button" Tilly.