Recognizing the contributions of Clela Rorex, pioneering county clerk who advanced civil rights for all couples seeking to be married in 1975.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 319 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 319

 Recognizing the contributions of Clela Rorex, pioneering county clerk 
  who advanced civil rights for all couples seeking to be married in 
                                 1975.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 9, 2025

Mr. Neguse (for himself, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Pettersen, Mr. Crow, and Mr. 
 Takano) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the contributions of Clela Rorex, pioneering county clerk 
  who advanced civil rights for all couples seeking to be married in 
                                 1975.

Whereas Clela Ann Rorex was born in Denver on July 23, 1943, to Ruby Rorex, a 
        dance and theater teacher, and Cecil Rorex, who served as Clerk of Routt 
        County, Colorado, for 30 years, where Clela grew up in Steamboat 
        Springs;
Whereas Clela earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado 
        Boulder in 1973 and a master's degree in Public Administration from the 
        University of Colorado Denver in 1981;
Whereas Clela, at the age of 31, became Boulder County Clerk and Recorder in 
        January 1975;
Whereas, in 1975, when a same-sex couple requested a marriage license in Boulder 
        County, Clela consulted the assistant district attorney and learned that 
        Colorado State laws did not specifically prohibit granting a marriage 
        license to a same-sex couple;
Whereas, as a newly elected county clerk, Clela issued a marriage license to 
        Dave McCord and Dave Zamora, the first marriage license issued to a 
        same-sex couple in the United States;
Whereas Clela was quoted in 2016 as saying, ``After having been so deeply 
        involved in the women's rights movements, who was I to then deny a right 
        to anyone else? It wasn't my job to legislate morality.'';
Whereas, over the next month, Clela issued five more marriage licenses to same-
        sex couples;
Whereas national news outlets circulated Clela's groundbreaking story, after 
        which she reported receiving a deluge of death threats and condemnation 
        in hundreds of letters and phone calls to the Boulder County Clerk's 
        office;
Whereas Clela issued marriage licenses to six same-sex couples in Boulder 
        County, Colorado, in April 1975, 40 years before the Supreme Court 
        legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015;
Whereas, in 2014, a series of court rulings cleared the way for same-sex 
        marriages in Colorado;
Whereas, despite the threats and for decades, Clela continued her advocacy 
        efforts on behalf of the LGBTQ community including marching, 
        volunteering, and donating to LGBTQ efforts;
Whereas Clela was 78 years old when she died on June 19, 2022, in Longmont, 
        Colorado;
Whereas due to her advocacy for human rights, Boulder County, Colorado, declared 
        July 23, 2022, as ``Clela Rorex Day''; and
Whereas Clela should be recognized for her leadership as a national civil rights 
        leader, paving the way for countless individuals: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the contributions of Clela Rorex as a pioneer 
                for civil rights and same-sex marriage;
                    (B) the respect and bravery Clela had when issuing 
                the first same-sex marriage license in the United 
                States; and
                    (C) the courage Clela exhibited following the 
                threats she received when she issued marriage licenses 
                to same-sex couples; and
            (2) expresses support for the designation of ``Clela Rorex 
        Day''.
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