Marriage Equality Bill Introduced in Illinois Senate

Phil Reese at Bilerico reports that the fifth largest state in the Union, Illinois, has taken another large step toward marriage equality.

State Senator Heather Steans has introduced SB2468, the Equal Marriage Act, to the Illinois Senate, and the language matches the House's version, HB178, the Same-Sex Marriage and Religion Freedoms Act. This bill was introduced by Rep. Greg Harris.

Harris has also introduced a civil unions bill, but I have had reservations about this tactic and how it was being handled.

This new development makes me much happier.

Reese spoke to Sen. Stearns on the phone.

Rep. Heather Steans makes clear that the time for waiting is over. "Look around the country. We have five states now with Equal Marriage. Its time. Illinois shouldn't lag," she said.

Both Harris and Steans noted that several prominent Illinois lawmakers have come out in favor of full marriage equality - starting with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley when Representative Harris first introduced the bill in 2007. The highest profile of these equality endorsements have been Gubernatorial candidate Dan Hynes and both rivals for President Obama's former Senate seat, Alexi Giannoulias and David Hoffman.

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"It's a fundamental right to find your own family," proclaimed Senator Steans, who calls being the first Senator to introduce marriage equality in Illinois an "honor." Senator Steans described her reasons for sponsoring this bill - issues all too well known to LGBT people in loving relationships barred from recognition.

Senator Steans takes issue with keeping Americans from the rituals, health care decisions, child rearing decisions, tax privileges and access to the same institutions that opposite-sex couples are afforded. She believes all couples deserve access to "the same rights and responsibilities that I have with my husband."

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The ripple effect could be major, with Illinois situated squarely in the center of America's "Heartland." A Midwestern agricultural and industrial bastion, Illinois can take the lead in the marriage equality movement. As Representative Harris said, "We can show this is not just something from the coasts. Illinois is a lot like the rest of America."

To help support the marriage equality effort in Illinois, Rep. Harris encourages involvement with ACLU of Illinois and Equality Illinois as well as contacting state legislators.

Illinois Looking to Pass Civil Unions Bill, But Is the Process Honorable?

The Illinois General Assembly is expected to approve a measure next week that would legalize civil unions, according to Rick Garcia, political director for Equality Illinois. He's "absolutely" expecting the full state House and the Senate to pass a civil union measure either Tuesday or Wednesday. The bill has support from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D).

However, it's not as straightforward as it sounds. (No pun intended) Instead of truly being approved as legislation, the civil unions bill is being attached as an "amendment" to an already Senate-approved "shell bill" which deals with death and estate issues. If the House approves the shell, it will return to the Senate for concurrence.

The reasoning behind this, says Garcia, is that Illinois lawmakers often use "shell bills" to pass legislation expediently when short on time. It also limits the time that opponents of civil unions can lobby lawmakers.

"We get it out of the House and then senators only have a few hours of being beat up by our opponents rather than three days or a long weekend," he said. "Since there is a perfectly legitimate way of doing it in one day, that's what we're going to do."

Should the measure become law, both gay and straight couples could enter into civil unions and religious institutions could choose their participation. As there's no explicit language regarding an effective date, couples could start entering into civil unions 30 days after the bill is signed into law.

Though I am happy this is happening, I have voiced my concerns with going after civil unions in Illinois in the first place. And now we're using a strategy to to pass a bill that, though still legitimate, opens the floodgates to criticisms that we're avoiding a true, valid debate on the issue with our opponents. Not the first time we've heard that.

Yes, I do want it to pass, but with full due process, like it was in Maine with the public hearings. I lived in Illinois for ten years, so I know how much I would've like to have this right. However, we've been accused of using slight-of-hand maneuvers before to sneak rights bills through without true opposing views being expressed. Especially if we know we could lose. So isn't that what's happening here? Aren't those criticisms valid?

This bill's process is legitimate, and there is a full vote, but like Garcia said, it hardly gives time to true debate. Or for that matter, an honorable passage. That's not how I want to win my rights. Do you?

Illinois Moving Fast Towards Civil Unions, But Should It?

Facing down threats to stop it, the Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, or HB 2234, which would grant same-sex couples the right to have civil unions, overcame its obstacles and passed a House subcommittee. It now will go to the House floor for a vote.

Current Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn believes that this bill will pass, saying "I think that's probably where the legislature is headed in the state."

Five years ago One year ago, this might have been good news, but now? Just hearing "civil unions" runs against my grain. Why? Because it has already been established in several states that that institution is a bone to satisfy second-class citizens, including the LGBT population. With so many marriage equality victories as of late, why should we settle for civil unions?

The Chicago Tribune ran a story this morning talking about why civil unions should come first and how, for Illinois, the strategy is more fitting than for states like Iowa.

"'In Illinois, we're charting what we think is the right path now for our state,' said Jim Madigan, executive director of the gay rights group Equality Illinois. '[Civil unions have] the advantage of really abating a lot of the harms suffered by couples who aren't married. And for those people for whom marriage remains a sticking point, it allows them to find a middle ground.'

"Because of the nature of the Illinois Constitution and the makeup of the state's Supreme Court, Equality Illinois has asked its members not to seek any kind of court action regarding same-sex marriage. Iowa followed a judicial path to gay marriage, but it's a state with a strong equal protection clause in its constitution and a Supreme Court known for being progressive with regard to civil rights issues.

";When people say to themselves, 'How could Iowa be ahead of California or Illinois on all of this?' it's important to remember that Iowa has had this unique reputation of being in front on issues like women's equality and race equality,' Madigan said. 'In Illinois, at the Supreme Court level, we haven't had many precedents that touch on [lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender] issues.'"

Reading this, I understand the logic and want to agree. But at the same time, I feel it's a glaring concession during a tidal wave of advancement for marriage equality. I am no expert by any means on the law in Illinois, but I can't help but remember Martin Luther King's "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail" when he responded to critics who said that he must wait, move slowly and consider the circumstances:

"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

I lived in Chicago. I did sit-ins at the county clerk's office demanding marriage certificates. And if I still lived there, I would do it again. I would also stand with my LGBT co-patriots in their fight for civil unions. Yet not a day would pass without them hearing from me, "But what about marriage?"

Counter the LDS Church's Attempt to Squash a Civil Union Bill in Illinois

Thanks to Queers United, I was made aware that the following official email was just sent out through the LDS Church's website to its members in Nauvoo 3rd Ward by its website's administrator, Kristy Combs, and the ward's Bishop Chris, who approved the email.

"This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.

The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives. This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another's bathrooms and locker rooms.What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.

To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.

Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).

Members of the Youth and Family Committee:

Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill)
Chairperson
217-782-3835

Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago)
Vice-Chairperson
217-782-5962

Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago)
Republican Spokesperson
217-782-1653

Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago)
217-782-2023

Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago)
217-782-8182

Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson)
217-558-1007

Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford)
217-782-0455

Directions for identifying your legislators:

You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and their contact information: www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1(and enter your 9 digit zip code). If this link doesn't work, you can use the general link www.ilga.gov and then click on "legislator lookup" near the bottom of the page, then click on "by zip+4". Type in your zip code, and you'll see a list of your legislators. You want your state senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on the bill.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sister Combs"


In order for the LGBT community and allies to be just as effective, we need to counter the LDS Church's strong influence in politics by contacting Congress ourselves in equal numbers. And thanks to them, we have Congress' contact information! Those who live in Illinois may need more support and instruction, so visit Equality Illinois for direction. Under "Events" they have a call to action and where to assemble on Thursday, March 5th, for the day of the hearing.