Marlon Reis

Last updated
Jared Polis
(m. 2021)
Marlon Reis
Polis-M.Obama (cropped).jpg
First Gentleman of Colorado
Assumed role
January 8, 2019 [lower-alpha 1]
Children2
Relatives Susan Polis Schutz (mother-in-law)
Education University of Colorado at Boulder

Marlon Reis (born July 1, 1981) is an American animal rights advocate, [1] writer, and first gentleman of Colorado as the husband of 43rd governor of Colorado Jared Polis. [2] He became the first same-sex first gentleman in the United States following the inauguration of Polis as governor on January 8, 2019. [lower-alpha 1] [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Reis was born in Boulder, Colorado, to a Jewish family from the East Coast. [4] He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. [5]

First Gentleman of Colorado

Reis became the first gentleman of Colorado on January 8, 2019, following the inauguration of his partner as governor of Colorado. Polis introduced Reis as the "first-first man" on election night. [4] He served as an unofficial adviser to his partner's gubernatorial campaign for governor. [6] As first gentleman, he has focused on animal rights and welfare, environmental and civil rights, and LGBT rights. [4]

In addition to being first gentleman, Reis is a writer and has published his works in USA Today , CNN, and The Washington Post . [7]

Personal life

Reis met future U.S. representative and Colorado governor Jared Polis in 2002 while finishing his education. [8] He and Polis married in September 2021 following an 18-year relationship. [9] He and Polis have two children, born in 2011 and 2014, respectively. [4] He is the son-in-law of poet Susan Polis Schutz and illustrator Stephen Schutz. [10]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Reis was the de facto first gentleman from 2019 to 2021 as he and Governor Polis were not married, though Polis' administration confirmed Reis would use the first gentleman title, and Reis was also listed as a governor's spouse on the National Governors Association website. Reis became the de jure first gentleman when he and Governor Polis married in 2021.

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References

  1. Boyd, Shaun (17 January 2019). "Colorado's First Gentleman Marlon Reis Takes Up Cause Of Animal Rights". CBS Denver.
  2. "The moment people went wild for Colorado's first 'first man'". FOX31 Denver. 7 November 2018.
  3. "How should we refer to Governor-elect Jared Polis' longtime partner?". The Denver Post. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Marlon Reis is finding his voice as Colorado's first gentleman". The Denver Post. 13 June 2019.
  5. "Marlon Reis". National Governors Association. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  6. "The Spot: The inside scoop on first gentleman Marlon Reis, reinsurance program moves forward, and who is the most electable in the 2020 Senate race?". The Denver Post. 13 June 2019.
  7. "EXCLUSIVE: Colorado's First Gentleman on Veganism, Animals, and LGBTQ+ Rights". Mercy For Animals. 22 February 2019.
  8. Schneier, Matthew (9 January 2019). "Colorado's Got a Gay Governor. Who Cares?". The New York Times.
  9. Gorce, Tammy La (2021-09-24). "A Wedding 18 Years in the Making for Colorado Governor". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  10. Schneider, Daniel J. "Video: Gov. Polis' Mother Joins His Press Conference To Discuss Older Coloradans". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Robin Pringle
(as first lady)
First Gentleman of Colorado
January 8, 2019 – present
Incumbent