[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 163 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 163

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 9, 2025

 Mr. Bennet (for himself and Mr. Hickenlooper) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas Clela Ann Rorex (referred to in this preamble as ``Clela'') was born in 
        Denver on July 23, 1943;
Whereas Ruby Rorex, the mother of Clela, was a dance and theater teacher, and 
        Cecil Rorex, the father of Clela, served for 30 years as clerk of Routt 
        County, Colorado, 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, in January 1975, at the age of 31, Clela became the Boulder County 
        Clerk and Recorder;
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, after issuing the first marriage license to a same-sex couple in 1975, 
        Clela issued 5 more marriage licenses to same-sex couples over the next 
        month;
Whereas national news outlets circulated the groundbreaking story of Clela 
        issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, after which Clela 
        reported receiving a deluge of death threats and condemnation in 
        hundreds of letters and phone calls to the Boulder County Clerk's 
        office;
Whereas, despite the threats, Clela continued her advocacy efforts on behalf of 
        the LGBTQ community, including by marching, volunteering, and donating 
        to LGBTQ efforts for decades;
Whereas, in 2014, a series of court rulings cleared the way for same-sex 
        marriages in Colorado, and, in 2015, the Supreme Court of the United 
        States legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, 40 years after Clela 
        issued the first same-sex marriage license in the United States;
Whereas Clela was 78 years old when she died on June 19, 2022, in Longmont, 
        Colorado;
Whereas, in honor of Clela and her advocacy for human rights, Boulder County, 
        Colorado, declared July 23, 2022, to be ``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 Senate--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the contributions of Clela Rorex as a pioneer 
                for civil rights and same-sex marriage;
                    (B) the respect and bravery Clela Rorex 
                demonstrated when issuing the first same-sex marriage 
                license in the United States; and
                    (C) the courage Clela Rorex exhibited following the 
                threats she received when she issued marriage licenses 
                to same-sex couples; and
            (2) designates March 26, 2025, as ``Clela Rorex Day''.
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