Romanoff champions gay rights, says he’s most progressive candidate

DENVER– Speaking to a room of about 30 people at popular and gay-friendly restaurant Hamburger Mary’s Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff said that, unlike his primary opponent, Sen. Michael Bennet, he believed gay marriage was a federal question that shouldn’t be left to the states to decide. Romanoff said has been a long champion of gay rights. He said he was not only more progressive than Bennet on this and other issues, but that he was the most progressive candidate running for national office in the country.

Polis to co-sponsor bill overturning federal ban on same-sex marriage

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis has signed on as a lead co-sponsor of legislation that will be introduced next week to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage exclusively as the union between one man and one…

Polis, DeGette call on Obama to suspend ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy

Joining 75 other lawmakers organized by Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings, U.S. Reps. Jared Polis and Diana DeGette signed a letter sent Monday to President Barack Obama urging the president to suspend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” investigations and discharges, which have led to the ouster of more than 250 gay and lesbian service members from the military since Obama took office.

Polis still plans to attend Democratic LGBT fundraiser as boycott calls grow

As prominent gay activists pull their support and calls for a boycott grow louder, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Jared Polis tells The Colorado Independent the Boulder Democrat still plans to attend the controversial $1,000-a-plate LGBT fundraising dinner for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., next Thursday.

Polis gives lukewarm praise to Obama for memo extending same-sex benefits

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis said he was happy — but not very happy — President Barack Obama would be extending certain benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees Wednesday afternoon.

The openly gay Boulder Democrat, who a day earlier ripped the Obama administration’s defense of a federal law banning same-sex marriage, told The Colorado Independent the federal benefits extension amounted to “a far cry from the equality we seek.”

Polis outraged over Obama’s defense of DOMA

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis issued a blistering statement Tuesday afternoon condemning the Obama administration’s defense of the federal law banning same-sex marriage. The openly gay Boulder Democrat said his “sadness turned to outrage” when he read a controversial Department of Justice brief filed in federal court to dismiss a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act.

Polis, Starin differ dramatically on gay rights issues in Colorado’s 2nd district

Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Scott Starin balks at the notion of amending the U.S. Constitution, an action he says should not be taken lightly. But when it comes to same-sex marriage, he would be willing to make an exception.

“At the federal level, I always am hesitant to amend the Constitution; there’s a reason it’s only been amended a few times in our 230-year-plus history,” said Starin, who’s running against openly gay Democrat Jared Polis in the left-leaning district that includes Boulder.