DENVER — U. S. Supreme Court justices will hear arguments for and against gay marriage on Tuesday. Right now 36 states and  District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, while the remaining 14 have bans in place.

“It’s changed our lives, in an emotional sense that cloud lifted, that weight lifted off of our shoulders,” said Anna Simon.

Simon and her partner, Fran, married in October in Colorado after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a ruling against Utah’s marriage law. The high court’s decision invalidated Colorado’s gay marriage ban, allowing same-sex couples to wed in the state.

Life has changed for the couple, their home now a shrine for their family and marriage.

“From a practical standpoint, we are just a family, like we’ve always been; we take care of our son, going to work, volunteering in our community,” Simon said.

Both will be watching closely to see how the court decides. Their biggest concern is how marriage rules are fractured in the country. They’d like to see a cohesive approach to gay marriage throughout the county.

There will be three areas Tuesday’s court battle will focus on:

*State’s reights

*Tradition marriage vs. a more modern definition

*Majority vs. minority rights

But those against gay marriage say it’s not just about traditional marriage, it is about the rights of the people who voted against same-sex marriage.

“Is it the people through the democratic process where this issue has always been decided or is it the courts? And it is the position of the states that it is the people,” said John Bursch, who will argue on behalf of the states with bans.

If the court rules in favor of gay marriage, that ruling will invalidate all anti-gay marriage laws.

A decision is expected sometime this summer.