Grand Junction LGBT rights supporters were eager to strategize at the kickoff of the Pathway to Marriage Road Show, which took place at CMU Sept. 19. One Colorado, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, will make 17 other stops through Colorado over the next nine weeks for the road show.

The road show focused on discussing what the best community climates will be to allow the passage of marriage equality throughout Colorado. The consensus was that Colorado voters are still evolving on the issue of marriage equality, and that it will take building the biggest issue-driven campaign in the state to see a victory for LGBT individuals. Attendees hope that these discussions will move the state of Colorado closer to the idea of having full marriage equality, although it will be a costly and time-consuming process.

The CMU Gay-Straight Alliance was responsible for the organization and promotion of the event. “GSA has been working with One Colorado for the past year and a half,” Gay-Straight Alliance Coordinator Casey Sadahiro said. “We have attended a variety of conferences on the Eastern Slope, and this is the first event we will be hosting for them on our campus.”

Some community members believe that Grand Junction will have an even tougher time pushing the agenda than other parts of Colorado. “Grand Junction is much more conservative both politically and religiously than other parts of the state,” community member Sarah Downing said. “The community is more likely to act out negatively here.”

While some expressed fears and concerns toward community organizing for marriage equality, others remained optimistic looking toward past successes in the region.

“The Western Slope has a strong history of support with One Colorado, so it’s fitting that the tour starts here,” Western Slope Field Organizer for One Colorado Heidi Hess said. “We’ve had everything from the most postcards sent to a state representative to the most people participating in an event per capita than anywhere else in the state.”

“What we haven’t heard because of the commitment on the Western Slope is that recent initiatives only passed because of people in Denver and larger areas,” Hess said. “I’ve always been able to refer to the numbers though and show the impact we have made here.”

The road show will continue through Novemebr as organizers seek to reach various communities within the state. One Colorado’s next stop will be in Carbondale on Sept. 26.

“The biggest hope is to continue to engage communities in all parts of the state and continue to talk about the work that we do,” said Daniel Ramos, One Colorado Director of Organizing and Alliance Building. “The exciting part of it is getting into communities like Grand Junction, learning more about them and finding ways that we can connect with people through our work.”

dhaynie@mavs.coloradomesa.edu