8 Top Prospects for Expanding Marriage Equality

Washington and Maryland residents can start applying for marriage licenses on Thursday (though they'll have to wait before it's official), which inspired us to imagine where equality might spread next, not counting the cases already pending Supreme Court review.

BY Julie Bolcer

November 20 2012 7:26 PM ET

Illinois: Marriage equality legislation has so far failed to advance in the home state of President Obama, but a number of factors cause advocates to believe the time has arrived to move beyond the recent civil unions law. Democrats won a super-majority in last month’s elections, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, a prominent member of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry coalition, has prioritized the issue. Governor Pat Quinn supports the legislation and exit polls from election night showed a majority of voters support marriage equality. Separately, a lawsuit in state court is challenging the state law banning same-sex marriages.