IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 248 

Recognizing the contributions of Clela Rorex, pioneering county clerk who 

advanced civil rights for all couples seeking to be married in 1975. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2023 

Mr. NEGUSE (for himself, Mr. POCAN, Mr. CROW, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. 

PETTERSEN, Ms. CARAVEO, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, 

Ms. BONAMICI, and Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the contributions of Clela Rorex, pioneering 

county clerk who advanced civil rights for all couples 

seeking to be married in 1975. 

Whereas Clela Ann Rorex was born in Denver on July 23, 

1943, to Ruby Rorex, a dance and theater teacher, and 

Cecil Rorex, who served as Clerk of Routt County, Colorado, for 30 years, 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; 


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•HRES 248 IH 

Whereas Clela, at the age of 31, became Boulder County 

Clerk and Recorder in January 1975; 

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, over the next month, Clela issued five more marriage licenses to same-sex couples; 

Whereas national news outlets circulated Clela’s 

groundbreaking story, after which she reported receiving 

a deluge of death threats and condemnation in hundreds 

of letters and phone calls to the Boulder County Clerk’s 

office; 

Whereas Clela issued marriage licenses to six same-sex couples in Boulder County, Colorado, in April 1975, 40 

years before the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015; 

Whereas, in 2014, a series of court rulings cleared the way 

for same-sex marriages in Colorado; 

Whereas, despite the threats and for decades, Clela continued 

her advocacy efforts on behalf of the LGBTQ community 


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•HRES 248 IH 

including marching, volunteering, and donating to 

LGBTQ efforts; 

Whereas Clela was 78 years old when she died on June 19, 

2022, in Longmont, Colorado; 

Whereas due to her advocacy for human rights, Boulder 

County, Colorado, declared July 23, 2022, as ‘‘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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes— 

3 (A) the contributions of Clela Rorex as a 

4 pioneer for civil rights and same-sex marriage; 

5 (B) the respect and bravery Clela had 

6 when issuing the first same-sex marriage license 

7 in the United States; and 

8 (C) the courage Clela exhibited following 

9 the threats she received when she issued mar10 riage licenses to same-sex couples; and 

11 (2) expresses support for the designation of 

12 ‘‘Clela Rorex Day’’. 

Æ 


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