One Colorado, the group leading the lobbying effort for civil unions here, has repeatedly pledged to support any lawmaker — Republican or Democrat — who supports relationship recognition legislation. This week, campaign finance reports show the group has made good on its promise.

Two Republican state senators, Jean White, R-Hayden, and Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, were gifted $1,000 each by One Colorado’s small donor committee.

Both women voted in 2011 for a bill that would have established civil unions. A third Republican senator, Nancy Spence, also voted for the Colorado Civil Union Act last year, but is term-limited. A similar bill will soon be debated this year.

“(LGBT equality issues) are neither red nor blue,” said One Colorado’s Executive Director Brad Clark. “We will show support to any lawmaker who does the right thing. We pledge our support regardless of party affiliation.”

One Colorado organized its small donor committee in October 2011.

In the four months since the organization filed with the Secretary of State’s office, more than $8,000 has been raised.

One Colorado also donated $1,000 to two Democratic groups, one charged with keeping the party in control of the state Senate and another to win back the state House. The committee gave an additional $500 to the Ferrandino Leadership Fund, established by gay Denver lawmaker and House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino.

Individuals are allowed to donate $50 per calendar year to small donor committees. In turn, those committees are allowed to donate up to $2,250 to candidates for both primary and general elections.

A who’s-who of LGBT power brokers and allies made up the committee’s initial filing with the Secretary of State.

Individuals who donated include Denver’s first openly gay city council member Robin Kneich, Tracks nightclub owner Andrew Feinstein, the Gill Foundation’s Bobby Clark, Leslie Herod and Tim Sweeney, the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Jason Marsden, Dr. Mark Thrun, Babes Around Denver founder Dede Frain and lesbian state Rep. Sue Schafer.

“There is an energy and intensity in the LGBT community to support candidates that are doing the right thing,” Clark said.

Metropolitan State College of Denver political scientist Norman Provizer said One Colorado donating to Republican and Democratic lawmakers is all part of the American political process.

“At this juncture, there is a wide range of methods to get money to campaigns,” he said. “But they all have the same purpose: support your friends who support your policies.”

One Colorado also has a registered Political Action Committee. However, those coffers have remained dormant since the 2010 election cycle, according to reports filed with the state.

Clark said One Colorado will continue to raise money and invest its funds in individuals who are thoroughly vetted.

“We’ll go through a rigorous endorsement process later this year,” he said. “We’ll be donating to lawmakers based on their record.”

John Hickenlooper

Hickenlooper, addressing a joint session of the Colorado General Assembly, said in his State of the State address Colorado believes in equal rights.

“We don’t believe we should legislate what happens inside a church or place of worship, but government should treat all people equally,” he said.

It was his most public declaration of support for the legislation to date.

The day before Hickenlooper’s address, gay Denver Democrat Pat Steadman re-introduced his Colorado Civil Union Act.

Last year, the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee struck down the bill after it had cleared the Senate with bipartisan support.

Steadman and House Minority Leader Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, are currently shopping the bill for a Republican co-sponsor in the House.

Supporters of the bill believe the legislation will have better odds at clearing a Republican-controlled committee if it is sponsored by one of their own.

Republicans control the House by one vote, 33-32.

One Colorado, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization, said if passed, the bill will provide committed couples with the tools they need to provide for their families.

“We applaud the leadership of Gov. Hickenlooper and thank him for his courageous call for passage of this critical piece of legislation,” said One Colorado executive director Brad Clark. “His support of civil unions mirrors the widespread support across the state, including 76 percent of all Coloradans and 60 percent of Republicans.”

So many factors and actors are in play at this point that everyone involved should be prepared for more ups and downs than a roller coaster ride at Elitch Gardens.

It could be argued that we know the fate of the bill has only two options: yea or nay. This is true. But if it is the latter, you can count on the civil union debate continuing into the 2012 election. Prepare for this robocall: “Republicans don’t support family values. They blocked critical legal protections for hundreds of Colorado families.”

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start with Jan. 11. That’s the first day the Colorado legislature will convene. It will be also be the day the bill, sponsored by gay Denver Democrat state Sen. Pat Steadman, will be introduced.

The Senate

Unlike last year, when the bill was introduced mid-session on Valentine’s Day – part political theater, part legislative process – this go around will kick off on Day 1. And while the legislation will eventually sail through the Senate with bipartisan support, don’t plan on seeing that happen anytime soon.

First, the bill will be introduced alongside nearly a hundred other bills. All must be assigned to a committee and scheduled for a hearing. Last year, the civil union bill appeared before three committees in the Senate: Judiciary, Finance and Appropriations.

Steadman, who is part of the Senate’s leadership, has a great deal of control on how quickly the bill will clear that chamber. Moreover, as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Steadman can hold the bill for several weeks.

And he may need to.

The House

The No. 1 priority for freshly-minted Minority Leader Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a gay Democrat, is to find a Republican co-sponsor in the House. Last year, it was a Republican-led committee that stopped the bill he co-sponsored with Steadman from becoming law.

At the time, there were at least five Republicans in that chamber who pledged to vote for the bill, ensuring passage. But it never reached the full floor of the House.

Republicans are still in control of the House by one vote. That means House Speaker Frank McNulty and Majority Leader Amy Stephens decide what committee each bill goes to, and if so moved, can use their majority power to pick and chose which bills will clear those committees.

Supporters of the bill claimed it was McNulty and Stephens who ordered the bill’s death in 2011. McNulty denied those accusations, while Stephens has yet to respond to an interview request from Out Front Colorado.

Onlookers believe bills without a Republican co-signer have little-to-no chance of clearing a committee, making it crucial to find a member of the GOP ready to stand up.

External Forces

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind the number of organizations opposed to civil unions is quickly eroding, while poll after poll indicates Coloradans are in favor of same-sex relationship recognition.

And while the few steadfast religious right groups yield enormous sway in the Republican Party, they’re being met with resistance from some of their closest allies.

Coloradans for Freedom is a group of Republicans bent on making sure civil unions become law under their leadership.

Comprised of past and present lawmakers, political analysts and party faithful, the organization is a manifestation of what supporters of the bill have been saying all along: relationship recognition for the LGBT community is a non-partisan issue that is widely supported.

Meanwhile, statewide LGBT advocacy organization One Colorado has been working in five communities of interest – Colorado Springs, Loveland, Durango, Grand Junction and the Denver suburbs – to find supporters and connect them with lawmakers, building their coalition of organizations and businesses and training volunteers to testify in the media and at hearings.

Riding momentum

Supporters argue: the Republican House leadership is running out of excuses to stop civil unions from becoming law. Census data shows more same-sex couples living in Colorado, New York’s Republican Senate cleared the way for same-sex marriage there.

And now with an identified base of support from within the Grand Old Party, it should seem like a lock. But only time will tell if McNulty and Stephens will join their New York colleagues and step into “the right side of history” or retreat to their base.

The No.1 priority for supporters of the Colorado Civil Union Act is to secure a Republican co-sponsor for the bill in the House of Representatives. There are at least five GOPers who said they’d vote for the bill if it reached the floor.

The question is, will one these lawmakers go even further and carry the legislation.

A group of Colorado conservatives are having a coming out party.

Coming out for civil unions, that is.

Organized in part by Republican strategist Kristin Strohm of the Starboard Group, Coloradans For Freedom, hope to make one thing clear: civil unions should become law and conservative values are 100 percent in line with this legislation.

Mario Nicolais, the spokesman for the group released this statement to Out Front Colorado:

Coloradans for Freedom supports civil unions for the same reasons that we support the ideals of conservatism and limited government. We believe that free people should be free to make fundamental choices about how to live their lives without the interference of government.

We know that there are people of good faith within the conservative movement that take a different view, but just the same we believe it is important for the public and policy makers to know that many conservatives stand on the side of freedom in the civil union debate. We will not be participating as a group in local primaries.

We are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives from all walks who believe in American Exceptionalism, the War on Terror, the Taxpayers Bill of Rights in Colorado, the Ryan Plan in DC and we’ll do everything we can to make sure President Obama doesn’t get 4 more years. We believe that government shouldn’t put its nose where it doesn’t have a place, which is why we are proud to stand for civil unions here in this state.

While it’s unclear at this time exactly what role Coloradans for Freedom will play in the debate at the Capitol or in the 2012 election — more details are forthcoming — this is no doubt a game changer. Why? Because now there is an identified pool of potential donors and allies within the GOP to provide “cover” for lawmakers who vote for civil unions but are afraid they could lose support from their base that may not forgive them politically for supporting civil unions.

Earlier this year, the civil union bill introduced by gay Denver Democrats Sen. Pat Steadman and Rep. Mark Ferrandino was stopped in its tracks March 31 at a House Judiciary Committee. The bill had previously cleared the Senate with bipartisan support from Republican Sens. Jean White, Ellen Roberts and Nancy Spence.

Roberts and Spence have signed onto Coloradans for Freedom.

Steadman will re-introduce the bill in the 2012 General Assembly. Ferrandino has dropped his name from the bill, “inviting” a Republican to carry the legislation.

Other high-profile Republicans who have joined Coloradans for Freedom include: Kelly Maher, Mary Smith, former state Rep. Rob Witwer, Marcia Garcia Berry and Sean Duffy. Also on board are gay Republicans, Michael Carr, Troy Ard and Alexander Hornaday.

According to Public Policy Polling, 47 percent of those Coloradans polled said they believe gay and lesbian couples should have all the rights of marriage — and the name to boot. Forty-three percent said they oppose same-sex marriage.

Colorado's gay and lesbian community gathered at the west steps of the Capitol March 31 to rally for civil unions.

“The verdict is in. Poll after poll shows the same thing,” Brad Clark, executive director of statewide LGBT advocacy group One Colorado told Out Front Colorado today. “Everyday support for the full legal recognition of gay and lesbian couples grows as Colorado voters come to know our families.”

Coloradans were split the last time the polling firm asked the question in August.

Moreover, when you add civil unions as an option 76 percent believe same-sex couples should have some form of relationship recognition. Only 23 percent said same-sex couples should have no legal rights.

Broken down by party line: 87 percent of Democrats support relationship recognition, 80 percent of independents agree to at least civil unions and a majority of Republicans — 60 percent — also favor the same rights for same-sex couples as afforded to a heterosexual couple.

In a matter of weeks, state Sen. Pat Steadman, a gay Democrat, will re-introduce his bill to establish civil unions in Colorado. The bill died March 31 at a Republican controlled House Judiciary Committee after it had already been approved by the Senate with bipartisan support.

Lundberg, perhaps the most conservative state senator and most definitely the most anti-gay lawmaker under the dome, tweeted he might want to advance his political career to Washington D.C.

Kevin Lundberg

And who does he plan to take down on his road to the capital? Well, out gay Congressman Jared Polis of Boulder.

Lundberg was the most vocal advocate against the 2011 Colorado Civil Union Act introduced by Sen. Pat Steadman and Rep. Mark Ferrandino.

Lundberg led the unsuccessful fight to stop the bill in the Senate. It passed in that chamber with bipartisan support. But that didn’t stop Lundberg from continuing his crusade against the legislation. The day the bill was heard before the House Judiciary Committee (where it eventually died), Lundberg led a protest and prayer group on the east side of the Capitol while supporters rallied on the west steps.

Now with Congressional redistricting set, we can all expect to see more folks lining up to run for Congress.

KDVR-TV reports:

Lundberg’s launched a website, www.kevinlundberg2012.com, to gauge support and hopes to make a decision by the end of the year.

“If the support is sufficient, we’ll move forward,” he said.

Lundberg’s announcement is a head scratcher. While its true Polis’ district now includes part of Larimer County (far more conservative then Boulder County), the seat is still considered safe for Democrats. Couple that with Polis’ money and influence on fundraising and you’d think only a crazy person would step up for that kind of a fight.

Then again, maybe we’ll just leave it at that.

Billy Canu (right) and his partner.

Billy Canu, speaking on behalf of himself and his partner, said they had approached the United Airlines customer service area seeking access to the Gold and United Club members lounge at Denver International Airport and eventually complained that the attitude of the staff was indifferent and patronizing.

Canu, a Denver native, posted the following account on his Facebook page Sunday, after the couple returned to their home in San Diego:

We went to customer service and the line was empty. My partner and walked to the front of the rope and stood there waiting, there were four staff behind the desk (1 male, 3 female) and one male stood beside them.

We were initially ignored as all five were chatting to each other. One was reading a magazine on hair and nails. The gentleman at the side of the desk beckoned us over, yet still we were ignored. The four staff started laughing with each other as to who was going to help, pointing to each other. One woman said ‘I can’t help as I’m pregnant’ and laughed at us. A lady (whose name we did not take) then proceeded to ‘help’ We asked what the difference was with the Gold access to the lounges, but she could not help.

She simply told us that Gold access was for international only as ‘those tickets cost more’ in a very condescending tone.

Eventually the gentleman to the side of the desk explained the difference, that there are open wide access Gold lounges and United members clubs. What we had tried to enter was a members club. The lady who served us went back to reading her magazine and I apologized for interrupting her magazine reading and explained she was rude. She looked up, again with a condescending attitude and said ‘Im soooo sorry’

My partner then backed up my cause explaining how rude she was, again we were met with ‘Im so sorry’ This wasn’t an apology, but a mere attempt at belittling us. The conversation got heated and then Rodney Hill, the ‘manager’ appeared.

According to the couple, Hill showed up during the conversation with the agent, did not ask any questions to assess the situation, and simply told the men they had to leave or they will be removed from the airport.

Rodney Hill

Canu acknowledged that the situation had become very confrontational at this point.

Rather than escalate the incident, Canu said, he and his partner walked away from the airline’s service desk, but claimed that Hill followed them a short distance down the concourse continuing to threaten the couple with removal from the airport.

According to Canu, Hill also shouted at them, calling them idiots at which point, Canu’s partner, angered at the ongoing tirade turned on Hill and shouted back ‘what was that?’

Canu said that Hill responded with “What faggots?” in what Canu described as a threatening posture.

Shortly after, Hill returned to the service desk.

Canu told LGBTQ Nation that both he and his partner felt bullied and scared by the incident and felt that Hill’s reaction was inappropriate.

Canu said he did return alone to the service desk to get Hill’s full name and a way to contact Hill’s supervisor, and that Hill snapped that he could contact whomever he wished on the airline’s website to make a complaint.

Canu said he contacted United Airlines on Sunday to make a complaint, but told LGBTQ Nation that as of Monday morning, he had not been contacted by the airline.

Reached by LGBTQ Nation late Monday, United spokesperson Christen David, Senior Manager for Corporate Communications, wrote in an email, “United does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we take this customer’s complaint very seriously. We immediately initiated a review of the alleged incident and are contacting the customer to follow-up.”

“However, we have not been able to corroborate the customer’s version of what was said,” wrote David. “Our Customer Care team has been in contact with Mr. Canu.”

Mark Ferrandino

And if Democrats in 2012 take back the House, which Republicans now hold with a 33-32 majority, Ferrandino could be in line to become the first gay speaker in state history, reported the Denver Post.

Ferrandino, 34, said the fact that he was able to ascend to such a high leadership position as a gay man shows how Coloradans’ views on sexual orientation have changed over the years.

“It’s become a nonissue, which is what it should be,” Ferrandino said.

Earlier this year, Ferrandino co-sponsored legislation to allow civil unions for same-sex couples in Colorado — the bill failed but it’s widely expected that he will try again next year.

Ferrandino replaces Rep. Sal Pace of Pueblo, who is running for U.S. Congress and who announced earlier this week that he was stepping down from his leadership post.

“I will be a vocal advocate for the values and principles we care about as Coloradoans and as Democrats,” said Ferrandino.

KUSA-TV

Kurt Peters (left) and Dionne Malikowski

Dionne Malikowski and Kurt Peters, both 16, have been instructed by officials at Fort Collins High School to use staff restrooms or face disciplinary measures.

Malikowski, who was born male, and Peters, who was born female, told KUSA-TV in Denver that that faculty and staff at Fort Collins High has not been receptive to their needs as transgender individuals.

“To be one sex that feels like they’re the other sex,” Malikowski said defining what a transgender person feels.

Inside Fort Collins High School, the two say they are asked to use staff restrooms.

“There’s not staff bathrooms all over the school, so when you really got to pee, you got to pee,” Malikowski said.

That’s what she says happened about a month ago when she used the women’s restroom. She was told she’d be suspended for three days.

“I cried,” Malikowski said. “I told them that it was really messed up for them to do that to me, and they were like, ‘We’ve warned you before,’ and I was just like, ‘Obviously you don’t understand what it’s like.’”

The school won’t comment because of student confidentiality, but on the school’s website “defiance” is listed as one reason a student can get suspended.

“I feel like the school doesn’t really understand what it’s like to be in our situation,” Malikowski said.

KUSA-TV

Peters said that a similar incident occurred when he used the men’s room, although in that instance he only received a warning not a suspension.

“Since it was a first time offense, they let me go,” Peters said. “But I think it’s really stupid that Dionne got suspended and I didn’t. I should have got suspended if Dionne did.”

A spokesperson for the Poudre schools superintendent Dr. Jerry Wilson, told LGBTQ Nation there is not an across-the-board policy for bathroom use by transgender students.

According to KUSA-TV’s report, without input from school officials, it’s impossible to know exactly what happened in the hallways of Fort Collins High School, but the two students say they feel punished for who they are.

“It kind of makes us feel like we’re not welcome,” Malikowski said.

Brad Stauffer, Director of Communications for the Colorado Association of School Boards, told LGBTQ Nation on Thursday that the problem confronting school administrators statewide is the absence of case law covering these legal scenarios in Colorado, and that the association hasn’t provided any guidance to school districts.

“Bobby identifies as a girl, and he’s a boy,” his mother, Felisha Archuleta, told KUSA-TV.

Archuleta still refers to Bobby as “he,” but said Bobby dresses and behaves like a girl.

“He’s been doing this since he was about 2 years old. He’s loved girl stuff, so we just let him dress how he wants, as long as he’s happy,” she said.

Archuleta said she went to sign Bobby up for Girl Scouts because his older sister had joined, and Bobby really wanted to join as well.

But Archuleta said a troop leader told her Bobby couldn’t join.

“I said, ‘Well, what’s the big deal?’ She said ‘It doesn’t matter how he looks, he has boy parts, he can’t be in Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts don’t allow that [and] I don’t want to be in trouble by parents or my supervisor,’” Archuleta told 9NEWS.

“It was like somebody told me I can’t like girl stuff, and I have to change my name to something else,” Bobby said.

KUSA-TV

But now, in a statement released to KUSA-TV, the Girl Scouts of Colorado said the troop leader’s decision is not in alignment with the organization’s policies:

“Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization and we accept all girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout. Our requests for support of transgender kids have grown, and Girl Scouts of Colorado is working to best support these children, their families and the volunteers who serve them.”

The Girls Scouts said the troop leader was not “aware of our approach” and that the organization would immediately begin working with Bobby and his family to “get the child involved and supported in Girl Scouts.”

KUSA-TV reporter Anastasiya Bolton told LGBTQ Nation that Bobby had also “been bullied” at school, and that Bobby himself “used that word” to describe other incidents while attending school.

A video report and discussion from KUSA-TV is here.

Brian Carroll

Carroll, who currently serves in the Colorado Army National Guard, served two tours in Afghanistan and one Iraq with Army Special Forces Information Management Division, Special Operations Command and was openly gay despite “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

“This is an historic day,” Carroll explained, “as far as I know I am the first out Veteran and active National Guardsman in the country to officially run for office since the Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

“I am proud of the work that I did fighting alongside Mark Udall and the thousands of Service Members nationwide to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. I will continue to fight for equality, serving my country and our great state of Colorado in the Army National Guard while exercising my right to run for public office. I look forward to a robust and energetic campaign where I will have the opportunity to engage the voters and constituents of House District 28 to hear their concerns and hopes for a better future.”

After completing six years of active duty, Carroll returned to Colorado and joined the Colorado Army National Guard, 19th Special Forces Group, and served as a Veterans Affairs Specialist for Senator Mark Udall, assisting military and veteran constituents with cases pertaining to healthcare, housing, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal.

While on active duty, Carroll specialized in building infrastructure and information technology resources throughout remote regions of Afghanistan and Iraq and worked with U.S Forces and local communities to build schools, medical clinics and ensured that there were free and fair elections.

Editor’s Note: Use of Carroll’s military rank, job titles and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement from the Department of Defense or the U.S. Army.

Used as mobile free-range chicken coops and a tour bus, the Grant Family Farms buses had been colorfully adorned through a regular tradition at the farm. One of them was donated weeks earlier by Cherry Creek Schools after 70 children helped paint it.

Sometime between 9 p.m. Sept 7 and 11 a.m. Sept. 9, criminals passed a “No trespassing” sign and sprayed the messages across windows and all sides of three buses. Most of the messages were swastikas and slurs against gay people.

Ann Grant Martin, a member of the organic farm’s founding family, who is gay, said the act was committed by “somebody with a lot of darkness in their hearts.”

“The farm is a safe place to work, and it’s a healthy place to work, and it’s a very inclusive and respectful place to work,” she said, adding that the vandalism is “really upsetting.”

No suspects have been identified, and the incident is being investigated as criminal mischief and a possible bias-motivated crime, according to Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.

Angela Simon, Grant Family Farms chef and representative of the farm’s community-supported agriculture program in Boulder, said the bus-painting tradition reflects the farm and its “vibrancy, beauty, nature, love and respect for the land – and who doesn’t love a fun hippie bus?”

She was at an event last August when as many as 70 kids helped paint the donated bus.

“It was just so awesome, because the kids were so excited knowing they were creating a home for those chickens,” Simon said.

She said the farm doesn’t have any known enemies.

“But I guess in every community, you’re going to find small-minded individuals,” Simon said.

The farm has about 10 buses which are driven into agricultural fields, where the chickens help the farm by fertilizing the ground and pulling weeds, Simon said. Hens’ eggs are collected from baskets built inside the buses.

The Grant Family Farms is Colorado’s first organic farm, and it sits on 2,200 acres, said Martin, who lives in Colorado Springs while her family operates the farm.

The farm each year donates “hundreds of thousands of pounds of food a year to people who are hungry,” she said.

The buses aren’t the only colorful component to the farm; hired artists have painted distribution trucks with fruits and vegetables depicted in eye-catching, sometimes amusing images.

She said the vandalism creates an opportunity to “reach out to those people who don’t understand and … are fearful of people of differing sexualities.”

“The people who did this are just very limited in their scope and understanding of humanity, because we are all one,” Martin said.

“We all live under the same sky and drink the same water, and we have the same needs.”

Larimer County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information connected with the crime to call dispatch at (970) 416-1985.

According to police, one suspect took exception to how one of the victims was dressed and started calling him “faggot.” The verbal attack escalated into a physical fight, leaving at least one victim with severe facial fractures.

Watch the report here from KOAA-TV:

Outserve has released this statement:

“We’re concerned that these soldiers may not get the support they need because of the ongoing impact of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” said “JD Smith,” OutServe’s active-duty co-director, who is identified by a pseudonym while “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is still in effect. “Will they be investigated for reporting the crime? Or for seeking medical help? These soldiers will have to literally lie at work to hide what’s occurred to them.”

“We don’t know the all the details yet, but it does appear that these guys were assaulted because they were believed to be gay. The simple fact is, no one should have to worry about being beaten for who they are, especially not someone who has put their life on the line to defend this country,” said OutServe spokesperson and combat vet Jonathan Hopkins. “We look forward to a full investigation of the facts and, if warranted, prosecution under Hate Crimes legislation.”

The suspects are described by witnesses and victims as 5 black males and 2 black females.

This vote counters the results of a February 2011 poll by the Public Policy Polling organization which found that 72% of Colorado voters support legal recognition of gay and lesbian couples.

The Colorado LGBTQ Equality Rights group, One Colorado, released the following statement after the committee’s action:

“Today’s vote was out of touch with everyday Colorado voters. With 72% of Coloradans in support of civil unions, House Republicans are out of the mainstream,” said Brad Clark, Executive Director of One Colorado, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization.

“Once again, they have turned their backs on Colorado families and kids.”

According to polls, support for civil unions is high. A February 2011 poll by Public Policy Polling found that 72% of Colorado voters support legal recognition of gay and lesbian couples.

Additionally, a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll conducted in 2010 found support for civil unions across political parties and religious affiliations, including 61% of Republicans, 84% of independents, 70% of Catholics, 67% of Protestants, and 55% of “born again Christians.”

Mayor Guillermo Vidal and Manager of Safety Charles Garcia made the announcement Friday, indicating the officers used “inappropriate” force, and then lied about the incident in official documents.

Reuters reports:

The flap stemmed from an April 2009 incident when Michael DeHerrera and his partner, Shawn Johnson, were detained by police after Johnson was ejected from a bar in lower downtown Denver.

Murr and Sparks said in their police reports that the men were belligerent, and force was required to subdue them.

But a city surveillance camera showed DeHerrera talking on a cell phone when Sparks suddenly hurled him to the ground and pummeled the prone man with a sap, a metal rod wrapped in leather.

“We cannot and do not tolerate dishonesty in any safety agency which is why it holds the most severe penalty in the discipline matrix,” said Garcia.

“When the word of an officer can not be taken as truth, or when an officer abuses his or her authority, immeasurable harm is done to the image of the entire department,” he added.

The video, via the Denver Post, can be seen here:

It’s interesting how the camera suddenly pans out to a wide shot the nearby traffic as soon as the beating commences, then zooms back to the incident once DeHerrera is in custody.

DeHerrera’s father, a Pueblo, Colo., Sheriff’s Deputy, publicly called for the officers’ firing. But in August, 2010, the former Denver Manager of Safety, Ron Perea, said that the officers should be suspended, not fired for their actions in the beating.

Garcia, the new Manger of Safety, determined otherwise.