The “Rainbow Wave” of the 2018 midterm elections extended as far as Colorado, a previously notorious “hate state,” where Jared Polis was elected as the nation’s first openly gay governor. In 1992, Colorado passed an Amendment banning LGBT+ anti-discrimination protections, prompting swift outrage and a business boycott led by many Colorado businesses. In Denver alone the boycott resulted in over $6 million lost due to canceled conventions.
Ultimately, Romer v. Evans, a case challenging the amendment made its way up to the Supreme Court. The court ruled Colorado’s amendment unconstitutional, and the case became a key stepping stone to the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.
“Colorado is a state that values diversity,” Jared Polis said in an interview with Denver Post before the midterm elections. “We’re willing to elect people that are going to do a good job for our state regardless of their background. . . . I think it’s exciting to show how far the LGBT community has come that it doesn’t stand in the way of being elected to the highest office in the state.
Read more at Washington Post.