Dressed as Paul McCartney and with an electric guitar set to the side, Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López used the power vested in him to pronounce Jennie and Amanda Gonzales a newly married couple.
They were among dozens of couples ready to exchange vows inside the Wellington Webb Building’s atrium.
And like many of those present, the Gonzaleses were there due to a fear of President Donald Trump’s new administration.
“We will do this today before our rights are taken away,” Jennie Gonzales said before the ceremony. “We brought our kids just to watch, make sure they see it is possible.”
LaVondia and Alison Sparks met eight years ago on a dating app. At the time, they said it felt safer to meet people online rather than at in-person events.
These days, they worry that same-sex marriage could be in the crosshairs.
After their ceremony, they embraced their godkids, who came to witness the marriage.
“We took the steps to get married today so we can have our ceremony in the summer with our family, with more of our family,” LaVondia Sparks said.
The Clerk and Recorder office’s “marriage marathon” is an annual Valentine’s Day event, but this year, López said Trump’s targeting of queer and immigrant communities has especially incentivized people to come out and tie the knot.
“You should be able to do it on your own terms without feeling a sense of urgency because of some kind of political administration,” López said. “However, love is love and people are going to do whatever they need to do.”
Is gay marriage under threat in Colorado?
While President Trump hasn’t outrightly stated he intends to reverse the federal protections on gay marriage, his administration has issued executive orders that eliminate the concept of “gender identity” in the federal government and end federal support for gender-affirming healthcare, threatening years of LGBTQ rights achievements.
A few weeks ago, Idaho state lawmakers passed a resolution asking the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Colorado voters took action in the 2024 election to remove language from the state constitution that declared marriage only to be valid if it's between a man and a woman.
