DENVER – When a Focus on the Family-backed group set out to rally voters to outlaw gay marriage in Colorado, it was Lt. Gov. Jane Norton’s voice calling them to action. And last week, the Republican lieutenant governor joined the resulting conference call with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council to discuss get-out-the-vote efforts with them.With a pair of questions related to same-sex couples on the Nov. 7 ballot, Norton has taken a significant, if quiet, role in the right to uphold what she calls the “uniqueness of marriage.”Norton said Thursday that her support for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is influenced by both by her concerns about gay couples adopting children and her Christian faith.”If we really don’t take a stand now, it’s really a matter of time before we lose the uniqueness of marriage. If we lose the uniqueness of marriage, we lose a fundamental building block of society,” she said.Her boss, Gov. Bill Owens, also supports Amendment 43 and opposes Referendum I, another ballot proposal which would allow same-sex couples to register as domestic partners and get many of the same rights as married couples under state law. But spokesman Dan Hopkins said he doesn’t have any plans to campaign for or against those issues.Jim Pfaff, head of Colorado Family Action, said he asked Norton to be involved because she is someone who supporters would respect because of her reputation for supporting families. He declined to give details on whether her involvement increased interest in the campaign.”Any appeal that she would make to those who care about the value of traditional marriage is obviously going to well received,” he said.Norton’s husband, former U.S. Attorney Mike Norton, filed the legal paperwork setting up Pfaff’s group, which is supported by Focus on the Family and its public policy arm, but Pfaff said he approached Jane Norton directly about doing the call.Referendum I would allow same-sex couples to adopt a child together. Proposal supporters say gay people already can adopt as singles but that changing the law would give those children two legal parents and, in the event of a break up, benefits like child support.Norton said children need a mother and a father. She said many of the approximately 800 children in the state’s foster system have been abused and neglected and “need the best possible environment in order to thrive.””I do not think the desires of adults should trump the needs of children,” said Norton, who led a push to change state laws to make adoption easier.Pat Steadman, a Referendum I supporter who’s lobbied on adoption laws at the state Capitol, said there are already gay adoptive parents and their children should be protected under state law.”To pretend that gay people don’t have kids and aren’t adopting kids is total putting-your-head-in-the-sand mentality. And it’s sad, because it hurts children,” he said.Norton doesn’t have any other events scheduled related to Amendment 43 or Referendum I but she said she gives her position on the issues when she’s asked at appearances across the state.Pfaff said his group is focused mainly on building grass-roots support and isn’t actively seeking any other endorsements from politicians.