You either love weddings or hate them, but we have all been to more than one. Most of us have probably even attended same-sex weddings. What’s the difference between a wedding between same-sex partners and one between a woman and a man? Usually, just the cake toppers, and that’s about it. All marriages should be about the love and commitment two people share.

Recently, Jim Obergefell, whose marriage to his husband led to the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, spoke our annual Gayla. Members of the audience, including me cried, while Jim talked about his long-term partner suffering from ALS and being unable to have their relationship legally recognized. Marriage became legal in this country because Jim and his partner loved each other so much that they demanded fair treatment and full legal recognition of that love.

Most of us support same-sex marriage and say, “Bring on the ceremony, vows, dancing at the reception, and cans clanging on the back of the car.”

The truth is if the U.S. Supreme Court were to reverse its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges — and let’s be honest, they’ve been known to change their minds recently — the ban on same-sex marriage in the Colorado constitution would go back into effect. Recent actions by the Supreme Court and statements from two of the justices have shown us that no court ruling is ever set in stone. Just look at what’s happened with abortion access. In 2022, the Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that stood for nearly 50 years. Voting rights and affirmative action — these, too, have come under attack. I don’t think we can afford to wait and see if they make good on the promise to come for marriage equality next.

That’s right, Colorado’s constitution contains an unfair and outdated definition of marriage as between only a man and a woman. A lot of Coloradans have no idea that this was still a part of our state constitution. Most have believed that marriage equality is fully protected here, but the fact is, it’s not.

When your ballot for the upcoming election arrives in the coming days, you’ll see an opportunity to remove this discriminatory language by voting “yes” on Amendment J. This is our chance to stand up for the freedom and dignity of all people and to ensure our state constitution represents the core Colorado values of fairness and privacy.

We don’t just want to win, we want to send a message that the overwhelming majority of Colorado voters are on the side of love and protecting access to same-sex marriage.

I grew up in Bent County, Colorado, and if you had told me when I was 16 that I would live to see marriage equality be the law in my hometown and my home state, I wouldn’t have believed you. I left my home state for several years because I didn’t have access to these rights, but I was born here and hope to die here. This isn’t political, it’s personal to me and a lot of your friends and neighbors. I am asking you to stand with me and all the other LGBTQ people in

Colorado, including our youth, and say loud and clear that we deserve equal access to marriage.

When you vote in the November 5 election, I hope you will vote “yes” on J. Let’s send a clear message that hate and discrimination have no place in Colorado and tell every same-sex couple in our state that their love is valid, their commitment is respected, and their rights are protected — not just by a flimsy court ruling that teeters on the edge, but by the people of Colorado, by their people.

In the end, it comes down to this: Every couple deserves the freedom to marry the person they love. That’s what’s at stake when you vote this year, so let’s make sure our state constitution reflects Colorado values. Vote “yes” on Amendment J.

Mardi Moore is the executive director of the Boulder-based Rocky Mountain Equality.