Advocates for the gay and lesbian community in Illinois are rallying behind a civil unions bill . . . which would grant same-sex couples many of the same rights as married couples . . .
Illinois residents, click here to E-mail your legislator to vote NO on this homosexual bill
-- From "Illinois gays not betting on marriage" By Rex W. Huppke and Monique Garcia, Chicago Tribune 4/14/09
. . . the complex and unpredictable path that lies ahead for same-sex Illinois couples . . . is similar to that taken by activists in Vermont, where gay marriage was legalized last week by the state Legislature, years after Vermont had embraced civil unions. In essence, advocates' thinking goes like this: If a gay marriage law seems unlikely, a civil union bill can help to secure state rights for gays and lesbians while allowing the public and politicians to get more comfortable with the idea of same-sex couples.
"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.
Many gay rights advocates in the state believe [the] civil unions bill—which passed through committee and is awaiting a final vote before the full House—will pass.
Thus, advocates hope a civil unions bill here will lay the groundwork for a gay marriage bill.
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