I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day we will volunteer at One Colorado. This week has gone by unbelievably fast and I have enjoyed every minute of it. The amount of information I have gained is truly astounding—I can’t thank Shannon and all of the other staff members at One Colorado for giving us the opportunity to really gain a new and comprehensive prospective about the LGBTQ community. Along with that, I’ve come to appreciate the work that lobbyists do and the struggle against discrimination in all capacities.
It is draining work. D.r.a.i.n.i.n.g. And all of these people do it for a living because they manage to hold onto an unwavering hope and patience. Change takes time, but by dedicating their time they are actually helping to make that change a reality.
I had the opportunity to witness a glimmer of hope today when we had the privilege to be in the Colorado Capitol while Governor Hickenlooper gave his State of the State Address. Though we were not able to make it into the gallery, we stayed and looked in from behind windows. Towards the end of his speech, Governor Hickenlooper called for the end to the denial of legal rights to same-sex couples. He said, “It’s time to pass civil unions”. This open support of civil unions was met with roaring applause. Even in our gallery outside the chamber, people around us were clapping and cheering for the first time. Most of the people inside the chamber were on their feet cheering as well. It was so amazing to see this show of support from the Coloradoans. In that moment, our work and the work of all involved at One Colorado seemed so special. I feel like this can truly be the year the LGBTQ community takes another step in the direction of equal protection and recognition for their relationships and families.
After this amazing experience, we all headed out for our obligatory coffee stop with another visit to St. Mark’s coffeehouse (which does really have the best cookies, if you’re ever in Denver) before heading over to the One Colorado office. We did a few odd jobs and then headed out for a presentation about forming Gay-Straight Alliances in schools that Daniel, one of the One Colorado staff members, was giving to faculty of Denver Public Schools. It was very interesting to hear his presentation and learn more about Gay-Straight Alliance programs. One such program was started at my high school my senior year, but I had never participated. After learning more about them and the positive impact they can have, I wished I had.
Then we went back to the One Colorado office for volunteer night. Woo! We all got to call constituents in two different districts to see if they would be willing to sign a petition in support of civil unions. This was draining. No one takes to random organizations calling them on the phone well. While I had a few incredibly pleasant interactions, some were not. I had one woman tell me about how much this bill means to her and her partner as well as several other friends; another woman told me she thought same-sex unions degraded the American family which causes democracy to fail. I honestly didn’t know how to respond to the second opinion—I muttered the first words I could think of and hung up the phone. Thankfully, we wrapped up the night quickly thereafter.
What a day! I’m exhausted and can’t wait for tomorrow.
--Micah
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