• • Civil unions introduced on first day of Democrat-led legislature 
Eli Stokols, FOX 31 (Denver) Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, became Colorado’s first openly gay Speaker of the House and was officially handed the gavel by Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch. [....] [I]n his opening day speech to the House, the Democratic leader quoted Ayn Rand, a favorite author of many libertarians, in an opening call for the passage of civil unions. “One of my favorite authors, Ayn Rand, wrote: ‘[T]he political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities.’ “In that spirit,” Ferrandino continued, “we must acknowledge that all committed couples deserve equal protection under the law, forever end Colorado’s ‘hate state’ nickname, and, with bipartisan cooperation, pass civil unions this year.”   Published: 2013-01-09