Illinois
In December 2010, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, establishing legal protections for same-sex couples across the state. The bill was signed by Gov. Pat Quinn in January 2011. While incremental steps such as civil union do provide some protections to same-sex couples and their families, they are no substitute for the full measure of respect, clarity, security and responsibilities of marriage itself. Join in the efforts to continue the work toward winning marriage.
Status: Civil Union, Anti-Marriage Law
Groups Actively Working on Marriage
Equality Illinois: the central statewide organization working to secure, protect and defend equalrights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Illinois
Blog Posts Related to Illinois
FEDERAL UPDATE: 3 new cosponsors of DOMA repeal
In the past week, Rep Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Rep Bobby Rush (D-IL), and Rep Rick Larsen (D-WA) signed on as cosponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act, bringing the total number of cosponsors to a record-breaking 128 in the House.
Illinois issues over 1,600 civil unions in the first month
In the month of June, over 1,600 civil unions were issued by the state of Illinois, according to statewide LGBT advocacy group, Equality Illinois.
Illinois Civil Unions Begin
Illinois' civil union law went into effect earlier this week. The law provides responsibilities and protections for same-sex couples and is a step towards marriage.
Resources Related to Illinois
Southern Poverty Law Center: 18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda
The Southern Poverty Law Center provides a detailed listing of anti-gay groups know for their dangerous propaganda aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Pew Poll Finds Growing Support for Freedom to Marry Among Evangelicals, Majority Support Among Youth
A comprehensive Pew poll found majority support for the freedom to marry among young people, college graduates and Catholics, with growing support among all other religious categories.
Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Groundbreaking research showing a huge increase in same-sex couples identifying themselves as "unmarried partners".