Meet the couple who were the first to receive a civil union in Colorado 12 years ago
9NEWS
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '6.679', 'text': "It's so special to us. This photo is um"}, {'start': '7.680', 'end': '12.719', 'text': "inside Anna and France Simon's home."}, {'start': '10.480', 'end': '15.280', 'text': 'History hangs on the walls. Our marriage'}, {'start': '12.719', 'end': '17.359', 'text': 'license. Yeah. And lives in the pages of'}, {'start': '15.280', 'end': '20.240', 'text': "their family scrapbooks. So, here's the"}, {'start': '17.359', 'end': '22.640', 'text': 'civil union. Photos that show different'}, {'start': '20.240', 'end': '27.160', 'text': 'versions of a happily ever after they'}, {'start': '22.640', 'end': '27.160', 'text': 'once thought would never happen.'}, {'start': '27.320', 'end': '33.040', 'text': 'I knew from the time I knew I was gay,'}, {'start': '31.119', 'end': '34.880', 'text': 'which is pretty young, like, okay, so'}, {'start': '33.040', 'end': '38.640', 'text': "I'm not going to get to be able to get"}, {'start': '34.880', 'end': '41.200', 'text': 'married. We did the whole white dresses'}, {'start': '38.640', 'end': '43.160', 'text': 'rabbi 100 friends, Denver Botanic'}, {'start': '41.200', 'end': '46.680', 'text': 'Gardens'}, {'start': '43.160', 'end': '50.640', 'text': 'with all the things that we could have'}, {'start': '46.680', 'end': '52.559', 'text': 'and not legal. The rabbi said it it was'}, {'start': '50.640', 'end': '54.320', 'text': 'valid and binding. Normally they say'}, {'start': '52.559', 'end': '57.199', 'text': "it's legal and binding, but she wasn't"}, {'start': '54.320', 'end': '57.199', 'text': 'able to say that.'}, {'start': '57.600', 'end': '62.640', 'text': 'The absence of legality marked the'}, {'start': '60.000', 'end': '65.119', 'text': 'presence of uncertainty. There were'}, {'start': '62.640', 'end': '67.119', 'text': "protections that we couldn't get any"}, {'start': '65.119', 'end': '68.479', 'text': 'other way. Yeah. And and it was an'}, {'start': '67.119', 'end': '72.799', 'text': 'emotional roller coaster, right? We had'}, {'start': '68.479', 'end': '74.600', 'text': 'our wedding in 2005 and then in 2006,'}, {'start': '72.799', 'end': '78.000', 'text': "um that's when"}, {'start': '74.600', 'end': '81.040', 'text': 'Colorado um voted down'}, {'start': '78.000', 'end': '83.439', 'text': 'uh domestic partnerships and voted for a'}, {'start': '81.040', 'end': '85.840', 'text': 'constitutional amendment banning samesex'}, {'start': '83.439', 'end': '88.159', 'text': 'marriage. But in 2011, Colorado'}, {'start': '85.840', 'end': '90.960', 'text': 'legislators introduced a bill to provide'}, {'start': '88.159', 'end': '94.960', 'text': 'same-sex couples with civil unions. We'}, {'start': '90.960', 'end': '97.200', 'text': 'had the capacity to testify again and'}, {'start': '94.960', 'end': '99.200', 'text': 'again and again in a way that a lot of'}, {'start': '97.200', 'end': '101.759', 'text': 'people that are just normal people, not'}, {'start': '99.200', 'end': '103.520', 'text': 'lobbyists or whatever could do. And it'}, {'start': '101.759', 'end': '106.159', 'text': 'failed again and again and again. But'}, {'start': '103.520', 'end': '108.560', 'text': 'they kept throwing punches again. We'}, {'start': '106.159', 'end': '110.720', 'text': 'felt like it was our responsibility and'}, {'start': '108.560', 'end': '114.720', 'text': 'again to fight for this. We wanted that'}, {'start': '110.720', 'end': '117.360', 'text': 'for our son to have married parents.'}, {'start': '114.720', 'end': '121.040', 'text': 'So he actually testified with us the'}, {'start': '117.360', 'end': '124.560', 'text': "last time. We're so so proud of him. The"}, {'start': '121.040', 'end': '127.520', 'text': 'bill finally passed in 2013. A historic'}, {'start': '124.560', 'end': '129.840', 'text': 'moment for Colorado and them. We were'}, {'start': '127.520', 'end': '132.160', 'text': 'given the honor of being the first'}, {'start': '129.840', 'end': '134.879', 'text': 'couple to receive a civil union in'}, {'start': '132.160', 'end': '137.360', 'text': 'Colorado. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, our'}, {'start': '134.879', 'end': '140.400', 'text': 'wedding in 2005 was with our family and'}, {'start': '137.360', 'end': '143.040', 'text': 'closest friends and um this felt like it'}, {'start': '140.400', 'end': '144.959', 'text': 'was for everyone, you was much bigger.'}, {'start': '143.040', 'end': '147.200', 'text': 'We had to wear dresses again. Who gets'}, {'start': '144.959', 'end': '149.040', 'text': 'to do that? To marry the same person'}, {'start': '147.200', 'end': '152.400', 'text': 'again'}, {'start': '149.040', 'end': '154.480', 'text': 'and again. They made history in 2014 as'}, {'start': '152.400', 'end': '156.640', 'text': 'the first gay couple to get legally'}, {'start': '154.480', 'end': '159.160', 'text': "married in Denver after Colorado's"}, {'start': '156.640', 'end': '161.760', 'text': 'samesex marriage ban was struck'}, {'start': '159.160', 'end': '163.440', 'text': 'down. The following year, a Supreme'}, {'start': '161.760', 'end': '166.319', 'text': 'Court ruling solidified marriage'}, {'start': '163.440', 'end': '168.480', 'text': 'equality for everyone in the country. I'}, {'start': '166.319', 'end': '171.680', 'text': 'remember calling my parents right away.'}, {'start': '168.480', 'end': '175.120', 'text': 'It was a huge moment. Such a huge shift'}, {'start': '171.680', 'end': '178.000', 'text': 'is only possible because of millions of'}, {'start': '175.120', 'end': '181.440', 'text': 'people over generations'}, {'start': '178.000', 'end': '183.599', 'text': 'um slowly doing the work. People like'}, {'start': '181.440', 'end': '187.280', 'text': "Anna and Fran. I don't think we're"}, {'start': '183.599', 'end': '189.920', 'text': 'legends of No. People whose stories are'}, {'start': '187.280', 'end': '192.080', 'text': 'told again and again. Yeah. This was in'}, {'start': '189.920', 'end': '195.120', 'text': 'the International Herald Trabune, be it'}, {'start': '192.080', 'end': '198.879', 'text': 'out loud or between frames so as to not'}, {'start': '195.120', 'end': '202.000', 'text': 'forget their fight. They have in the'}, {'start': '198.879', 'end': '204.480', 'text': "hall in the county clerk's office"}, {'start': '202.000', 'end': '207.599', 'text': 'pictures of us from both our civil union'}, {'start': '204.480', 'end': '211.599', 'text': 'and uh when we got our marriage license.'}, {'start': '207.599', 'end': '215.280', 'text': 'What does that symbolize to you? Dignity'}, {'start': '211.599', 'end': '218.239', 'text': 'um respect and the work of so many'}, {'start': '215.280', 'end': '222.040', 'text': 'people um you know with us and and'}, {'start': '218.239', 'end': '222.040', 'text': 'certainly before us.'}, {'start': '222.879', 'end': '226.319', 'text': 'Now, those pictures are currently in'}, {'start': '224.720', 'end': '227.840', 'text': 'storage while they renovate that wing'}, {'start': '226.319', 'end': '229.760', 'text': "and the clerk and recorder's office"}, {'start': '227.840', 'end': '231.200', 'text': 'moves to a different building. And guys,'}, {'start': '229.760', 'end': '232.879', 'text': 'the two of them highlighted the'}, {'start': '231.200', 'end': '234.560', 'text': 'importance of history and recognizing'}, {'start': '232.879', 'end': '236.480', 'text': 'the fight that they and so many others'}, {'start': '234.560', 'end': '238.560', 'text': 'took part in, but they also emphasized'}, {'start': '236.480', 'end': '240.720', 'text': 'that many queer folks are still fighting'}, {'start': '238.560', 'end': '242.159', 'text': 'for their rights, right? Yeah. My'}, {'start': '240.720', 'end': '244.159', 'text': "goodness. It's incredible. I think the"}, {'start': '242.159', 'end': '245.680', 'text': 'LGBTQ community, the way that they'}, {'start': '244.159', 'end': '247.040', 'text': 'mobilize and they advocate for'}, {'start': '245.680', 'end': '248.720', 'text': 'themselves, because there was a time in'}, {'start': '247.040', 'end': '250.000', 'text': "our history where a lot of people didn't"}, {'start': '248.720', 'end': '251.760', 'text': 'think this would ever happen. Oh,'}, {'start': '250.000', 'end': '253.519', 'text': 'absolutely. Not even not even they'}, {'start': '251.760', 'end': '256.479', 'text': 'believed that. Yeah, absolutely. The'}, {'start': '253.519', 'end': '258.239', 'text': 'tenacity and the one the resilience and'}, {'start': '256.479', 'end': '260.479', 'text': 'one of the motivating factors we were'}, {'start': '258.239', 'end': '263.440', 'text': "talking about the son who's now you said"}, {'start': '260.479', 'end': '264.800', 'text': 'almost going into college to DU which'}, {'start': '263.440', 'end': '267.040', 'text': 'was super serendipitous because I went'}, {'start': '264.800', 'end': '269.360', 'text': 'to DU. Yeah. No, it was it was so lovely'}, {'start': '267.040', 'end': '271.440', 'text': 'to um hear their story and and share'}, {'start': '269.360', 'end': '273.199', 'text': 'that. So it was really lovely. Beautiful'}, {'start': '271.440', 'end': '276.800', 'text': 'couple. Thank you for sharing that story'}, {'start': '273.199', 'end': '276.800', 'text': 'with us. Of course. Absolutely.'}]