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Loading ...Illinois takes up gay marriage bill
02.10.2009 10:22am EST
(Springfield, Illinois) Openly gay state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) has filed legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry in Illinois.
The bill is slated for discussion Tuesday in the Youth and Family Committee and a large number of gay and lesbian couples are expected to pack the committee room. But even Harris admits it will be tough to get the measure to a vote in the House.Two years ago, a civil union bill introduced by Harris died when the session ended and conservative groups already have made it known they will fight the marriage bill. They’ve work to push for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage they hope will make it to the ballot in 2010.
The marriage bill, officially called the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act would “provide eligible same-sex and opposite-sex couples with the same treatment as those in a civil marriage.”
“[T]he current marriage law is discriminatory and harms same-sex couples; and there is no compelling interest or rational basis to deny same-sex couples those benefits,” the bill’s description says.
The bill also makes it clear that no church would be required to perform or recognize same-sex marriages.
The legislation currently has four co-sponsors. Harris said that he hopes that even if the measure fails to gain traction this year, the debate will help advance it in the future.
In 2007 Harris’ civil union bill, called the Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act passed the House Human Services Committee but then languished until the session ended in January.
One can always hope, but IL is such a corrupt state – down to its very core… it’s hard to imagine anything worthwhile like this getting through if somebody isn’t being paid off somewhere. Corrupt politicians, corrupt and unethical police… it’s like living on a mdoern day set of “The Untouchables”.
“The bill also makes it clear that no church would be required to perform or recognize same-sex marriages.”
It is funny how Churches are worried about performing or recognizing same-sex marriages. Technically I’m a bastard to the Catholic church because my Dad married a Baptist…
I stepped into a church on Saturday….yikes….for a wedding. It was Congregational. I thought they were mild..what a strange mix of superstition and geekyness. They priest is known locally as the guitar playing priest. Everything he said was about the marriage being a union of 3..the two humans and their god. How weird is that. Then he never said “by the power vested in me” which is supposed to refer to the state granting him the power to perform civil marriages.
I wouldn’t want to put a blot on the couple’s happy day but I don’t think they got married….he never performed the civil part of the ceremony.
We need to remember marriage is not religious nor sacred, it has been around long before we invented gods. Saying a church wouldn’t have to perform a wedding is an insult to our constitution as they can’t do it today. If you want a priest to do your wedding he/she has to be given that power by the state.
Take away religious marriage completely, do it like they do in England and the churches would have to shut up.
It is called civil marriage for a reason…the authorizing party is a civil institution, a local government.
Chris Sullivan Said:
“One can always hope, but IL is such a corrupt state – down to its very core…”
the depressing thing is that it is true… but the even more depressing fact is that our whole government, no matter where you go has some sort of corruption. look at Detroit when Kwame Kilpatrick was in office. He was promissing money he didnt have, and destroing the city, not helping it. I highly doubt it, but hopefuly one day we can get a trustworthy government everywhere you go in the U.S.
Dave W,
I intend to have a church wedding one day.
I suppose we can hope that gays in Illinois are just as corrupt at straights.
Well, as corrupt as our government is in IL, Chicago is a very GLBT friendly city. We are one of the few states that protects not only gay and lesbian individuals, but also transgender. We were also the first state to throw out our sodomy laws (well before Stonewall ever happened), and it surprises me that it has taken this long for the gay marriage debate to reach us.
I’m just glad it’s finally starting.
Oh boy, here we go. Can’t lawmakers pass laws anymore without putting them on a voter ballot? If Illinois get a ban on marriage then we are going to end up just like California. Lawsuits everywhere. We have sexual orientation as a suspect class just like in CA and our laws are fairly progressive for the GLBT community. Look, whether we get gay marriage in IL in 2010 is not important. What IS important is that there will not be a ban attempt made. Maybe this time HRC will concentrate their efforts on a major fight.
I’ve been with my partner for almost 11 years (May 2). I know someday we will be able to be married, but I hope our new president works to at least give gay partners equal benefits that come with marriage on a Federal level. That would be a huge step forward. Even states that allow gay marriage can’t give Federal benefits. Until that happens, we only have quasi marriage rights.
Watch those Mormons you guys! And each and every one of you who can…come out to everyone you know.