DENVER—Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado) came out in direct support of gay marriage Monday with the announcement of a new campaign called "Why Marriage Matters Colorado."

In juxtaposition to Hickenlooper's support for civil unions, which he prominently announced as a legislative priority in his 2012 State of the State address, Hickenlooper's first public comment as Governor in support of same-sex marriage came in the form of a written statement toward the bottom of a press release from LGBT group One Colorado announcing the new legalization effort:

Governor John Hickenlooper: "We have advocated for equal rights for all Coloradans and we will continue to advocate for equal rights for all Coloradans. Last year, Colorado took a historic step forward when we passed bipartisan legislation recognizing civil unions. If all men and women truly have the inalienable right to pursue happiness, and if all people are created equal, then by extension of law, logic, and love, every adult couple should also have the freedom to join in marriage."

Prior to this statement, Hickenlooper's position has been that same-sex couples should be afforded all of the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, but he has not advocated for using the word "marriage" to describe these relationships. In his efforts to legalize civil unions and domestic partnerships, he prominently stressed the contrast between the rights those polices would confer and the word marriage, even running an ad on that topic.