Sept 16 (Reuters) - Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the nation's first openly gay man to be elected governor, has tied the knot with his partner of 18 years Marlon Reis in a traditional Jewish ceremony attended by close family and friends.
The marriage between Polis, a Democrat, and first gentleman Reis, a writer and animal advocate, marks the first same-sex wedding of a sitting governor.
"The greatest lesson we have learned over the past 18 months is that life as we know it can change in an instant," Polis wrote in a Twitter post. "We are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate our life together as a married couple."
Polis and Reis both contracted COVID-19 last year and Reis was briefly hospitalized in December. The couple, who got engaged late last year, are parents to two children age 7 and 9, according to a statement from Polis' office.
A 2015 landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
While LGBTQ people remain "severely" underrepresented, the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials in the United States has increased by 17% between June 2020 and June 2021, according to a report by the LGBTQ Victory Institute.
Earlier this year, Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana and presidential candidate, became the first openly gay U.S. Cabinet secretary confirmed by lawmakers.
(Reporting by Maria Caspani, Editing by Mark Porter)
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