Gay marriage referendum urged in Colorado

DENVER, July 15 (UPI) -- A gay college student in Colorado says the time has come to ask voters to overturn a ban on same-sex marriage passed in 2006.

Mark Olmstead of Aurora tells The Denver Post state authorities will review the language of his proposal next week. If they clear it, backers would need to collect 86,000 signatures to put it on the 2012 ballot.

Five years ago, Colorado voters passed a state constitutional amendment restricting marriage to one man and one woman.

But Olmstead says, "I think the attitudes in Colorado toward gay marriage have shifted since 2006."

Republican state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, who sponsored the 2006 amendment, opposes repeal but said: "I will say this: It's more appropriate for an issue like this to be before voters than before the legislature, trying to work around the vote of the people."

Brad Clark, head of the gay rights group One Colorado, said "we applaud the spirit of the proposal" but it is the Legislature's responsibility "to ensure these couples have the protections they need."