IL

...now browsing by category

 

IL: GOP Gubenatorial Candidate Would Ban Gay Marriage & Civil Unions in Constitution

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Though the winner of the GOP gubernatorial nomination is still a toss up between Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady, front-runner Brady is already making plans for the Illinois gay community–he wants to change state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. “I’m trying to give the government back to the people,” Sen. Brady (R-Bloomington) said regarding his proposal, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently, he means the straight people.

The proposal would also ban civil unions in the state.

Brady’s opponent Dillard is also opposed to gay marriage and civil unions, but it was not clear whether he would try to change the Constitution over the issue.

Full Story from the Huffington Post
Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.
To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in bill brady, civil unions, Gay Marriage, IL, illinois constitutional ban, marriage equality, same sex marriage | No Responses »

IL: Group Lobbies for Civil Unions Bill

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Illinois statewide gay rights organization has renewed its effort to pass legislation to recognize and protect same-sex couples in Illinois. During the first week of the new legislative session last week, Equality Illinois had its full lobbying team in place meeting with legislators and advocates at the Illinois Statehouse.

Last year, the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act passed out of a House committee but never came to a full vote in the General Assembly. The Equality Illinois is renewing its push this year confident that the bill can get the necessary votes for passage and is working with a range of community, civil rights, religious and civic organizations to solidify support.

“I continue to lobby my legislative colleagues on civil unions and marriage equality, who have one eye on the financial melt-down of the State budget and their other eye on their upcoming re-election campaigns,” said State Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago) the sponsor of the bill in the House. “We have a lot of work to do but we are moving forward in a steady way.”

Full Story from the Vital Voice

Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in civil unions, IL, illinois, lobbying | No Responses »

IL: Legislature Puts Off Civil Unions Debate 6 Months

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

Gays and lesbians can go ahead and scratch Civil Unions off their holiday wish list this season, as a Nov. 30 deadline for moving on Civil Unions legislation passed with almost no action by the Democratic-controlled Illinois legislature — except to create a new deadline nearly half a year away.

The fact that the deadline was missed comes as no surprise, considering the state legislature has been adjourned for weeks and is not scheduled to meet again until Jan. 12. Still, this is just one more turn in a complex holding pattern the state Democrats have locked this bill into.The Nov. 30 deadline was set near the end of the Spring legislative session. For months prior to that, the state House had sat on HB2234, a Civil Unions bill proposed by Rep. Greg Harris, an openly gay Democrat serving Chicago’s North Side.

Then all the sudden on May 26, there was a political earthquake in California. The California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, a controversial ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in the state. Gays and lesbians throughout the nation were stunned, frustrated, even angry. In Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, the heart of Chicago’s gay community, protesters gathered on the streets and demanded justice.

Full Story from the Independent Political Report: http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/12/in-illinois-and-ny-democratic-electeds-put-off-lgbt-rightsagain/

Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in civil unions, delay, IL, illinois, legislature | No Responses »

Is Illinois Senator Stearns' Gay Marriage Bill a "Stunt" to Help Re-election?

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

The timing of a gay marriage bill introduced in the Illinois Senate Thursday is drawing more attention than the issue of gay marriage. If approved, Illinois State Senator Heather Steans’ Equal Marriage Act would legalize gay marriage in the Land of Lincoln. Assemblyman Greg Harris introduced his Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act in January. Steans has called her senate version a companion bill to Harris’.

But considering the 96th Illinois General Assembly is in its final throes and Harris’ bill has languished in the Rules Committee, political opponents – gay and straight – are questioning Steans’ political motivations.

Her openly gay opponent Jim Madigan called the bill’s introduction a “publicity stunt” to attract gay voters from Chicago’s gay neighborhood of “Boys Town,” which is included in the 7th District she represents.

Full Story from On Top Magazine: http://ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=4636&MediaType=1&Category=26

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in bill, Gay Marriage, IL, illinois, legislature, senate, senator heather stearns | No Responses »

Gay Marriage Bill Introduced in Illinois Senate

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

Illinois State Senator Heather Steans (D-7th District) introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the state yesterday, according to a press release from Equality Illinois.

The bill would ensure state recognition of same-sex marriages while ensuring that religious institutions will not be required to perform marriages inconsistent with religious practices.

The bill is a companion to a civil unions bill introduced in the state House by Rep. Greg Harris (D-13th District) in January.

Full Story from The Southern Voice: http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=27458

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with “subscribe blog” as the subject. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in bill, chicago, Gay Marriage, IL, illinois, senate | No Responses »

Illinois Rep Greg Harris: We Should Get Gay Marriage Done Now

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

The legislative battle over extending equal rights to same-sex couples had its share of ups and downs this past year. State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) got things rolling by introducing two measures — the same-sex marriage and civil unions bills — for the second consecutive year.

While the marriage proposal never made it out of committee, a growing number of lawmakers warmed to civil unions and the legislation gained some traction in the House. As the session drew to a close, however, it became increasingly clear that the bill didn’t have the votes to pass. Harris went so far as hatching a plan to sneak the civil unions language into a shell bill that had already passed out of the Senate in hopes of keeping it alive. But the plan was foiled and the session ended with Harris vowing to try again.

In just the few short months since, some high-profile Illinois politicians have vocally expressed their political support for gay marriage. And with Harris at her side, State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) announced today that she’s hoping to build on that momentum by introducing the Equal Marriage Act (SB 2468), the Senate version of Harris’ same-sex marriage bill. “This is a mainstream position, this is a moderate position, and it’s the right position to have in the state of Illinois,” Harris said. “We should get it done and we should get it done now.”

Full Story from Progress Illinois: http://progressillinois.com/2009/10/1/harris-steans-equal-marriage-act

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Illinois.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with “subscribe blog” as the subject. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Posted in chicago, Gay Marriage, IL, illinois, representative Greg Harris | No Responses »