Colorado Lawmaker Receiving White House Honor

DENVER (AP) - A Colorado state senator is visiting the White House to receive an honor given to openly gay, lesbian and transgendered public officials.

Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman of Denver is receiving the "Harvey Milk Champion of Change" award Wednesday. Ten such awards are given in memory of the slain gay-rights leader.

Steadman was a lead sponsor of Colorado's recently enacted civil unions law.

Steadman has been active in gay rights for much longer. In 1992, before he was a lawmaker, Steadman helped organize a lawsuit challenging Colorado's Amendment 2, an anti-gay initiative that was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in 1996.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)