DENVER -- Denver police arrested two Englewood women who staged a sit-in Monday at the City Clerk's office following a failed attempt to get a marriage license.

Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder have been together for five years.

"After getting to know each other, we realized we wanted to get married and spend the rest of our lives together," Burns said.

The couple held a news conference in front of the Webb Municipal Office Building Monday afternoon.

"This is basic," Burns said. "We feel that state and federal laws are preventing us from practicing our religion."

She added, "We want the same equal rights."

After the news conference, the women walked into the Webb building and into the clerk's office, where they asked for a marriage license.

Assistant clerk JoAnn Keys turned them down saying, "Colorado doesn't allow same sex marriage licenses."

With that, Burns and Schroeder turned around, then sat down right in front of the clerk's counter.

Another clerk asked the women to move so they could continue to conduct business.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience but we're going to stay here to bring attention to the injustice of the situation," said Burns.

Schroeder said they expected to be turned down.

"Civil rights has never just happened. People have had to go out into the streets. They've had to, in some cases, sit in," Burns said.

Schroeder added, "It doesn't mean that we're not anxious or scared. ... Neither one of us has been arrested before. But we do know that until people demand equality it's not just going to happen."

While the couple's minister and a handful of supporters showed up to lend their support, there were some bystanders who said they were "disgusted" by what the women were doing.

For others, it's not a matter of disgust, it's a matter of law.

"I understand their situation," said Jim Chapman of the Rocky Mountain Family Council. "But Coloradans were very clear about what they wanted marriage to be defined as."

Chapman was talking about Amendment 43, which passed with 56-percent of the vote last November.

"In our constitution it says very clearly that marriage is a relationship, an exclusive relationship, between one man and one woman. That's all about the law, and that's really what trumps their personal story right now," Chapman said.

Burns and Schroeder sat in front of the clerk's desk for 1.5 hours. When the office closed, they were considered to be trespassers. That's when police handcuffed the women, took them to headquarters, booked them and released them.

"We're confident that the law is going to change," Schroeder said. "But it's not going to change until somebody stands up and says, 'No more, this is just not right. It needs to change.'"