Jeffco joins Pride month with special marriage certificates

Every June, many of Colorado’s biggest cities host huge Pride parades, parties and drag shows to celebrate the LGBTQ community. Now some county clerks are joining the party. 

The new Jefferson county clerk, Democrat Amanda Gonzalez, has created a distinctive rainbow seal for people who want the specialty marriage certificate.

“Equality and inclusion is really important in my office,” she said. “And being potentially the first queer clerk here, it's especially important to me to protect the right for everybody to marry who you love no matter who you are.”

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

She says her office doesn’t yet have final data on how many people have chosen the license. She said she got the idea after seeing what Adams County was doing to celebrate Pride, including a Marriagepalooza earlier this month at the Adams County Pride festival.

“We've got a rainbow pen and a rainbow seal that are optional for people. So anybody who wants to show their pride, whether you're in a same sex relationship or not, you have the option of selecting that seal,” Gonzalez said. “Nobody has to have it.”

Gonzalez said even for those who decline there haven’t been any issues:

“I have not had to pop out of my office and, and, you know, bring down the temperature at all, which has been really nice.”

More Pride coverage

• Black Pride Colorado aims to create culturally safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people of color and to celebrate community — via Colorado Matters
• Introducing Lavender Hill, Denver’s first Queer Cultural District — via Denverite