A bill which would recognize gay and
lesbian couples with civil unions tentatively cleared the Colorado
Senate on Wednesday.
According to The Associated Press,
the bill, sponsored by Democratic Senator Pat Steadman, cleared the
chamber on an unrecorded voice vote. Senators overwhelmingly
approved the measure last year before it died in a
Republican-controlled House committee.
Steadman shared his perspective on the
issue as a gay man.
“Why is this important?” Steadman
asked colleagues. “It's because life happens to people. People
have babies. People adopt children. People have accidents. People
end up in the hospital.”
“Are we not as human as you?” he
asked.
Senator Nancy Spence, a Republican,
reiterated her support for the measure.
“The Republican Party, the party of
Lincoln, must continue to champion civil liberties,” she said.
Supporters in the House have said they
are looking for a Republican sponsor for the measure. However, the
legislative session is coming to a close in a few weeks.
A
poll released earlier this month found that seventy-five percent
of Colorado voters support recognizing gay couples with either
marriage (47%) or civil unions (28%). Only 22 percent said there
should be no legal recognition whatsoever for the relationships of
gay couples.