Illinois OK's Civil Unions

The Illinois state senate today passed a civil unions bill by a vote of 32-24, following the house's approval of the legislation Tuesday. Gov. Pat Quinn has pledged to sign the bill, which will take effect in July.

Illinois joins 11 other states and the District of Columbia in providing some form of relationship recognition to same-sex couples, through marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships. Unmarried opposite-sex couples will be eligible for civil unions in Illinois as well. Civil union certificates will be available from county clerks' offices beginning July 1, the start of the state's new fiscal year.

Rep. Greg Harris (pictured), a gay Democrat from Chicago, spoke passionately in favor of the bill in the house. "We have a chance here, as leaders have had in previous generations, to correct injustice and to move us down the path toward liberty," he said, according to the Chicago Tribune."It's a matter of fairness, it's a matter of respect, it's a matter of equality."

Most of those favoring the legislation were Democrats, although a handful of Republicans voted for the bill, and a couple of Republican house members stood up to voice their support, as did one Republican senator, Dan Rutherford, who will leave the senate at year end to take his new office as state treasurer.

Rick Garcia, public policy director for gay rights group Equality Illinois, told The Advocate he and the group's field programs director, Caroline Staerk, did extensive grassroots organizing to gather support for the legislation, going to street fairs, farmers' markets, and door to door. "It was this really hard grassroots campaign of having constituents talk to their legislators," he said.

Staerk, he said, helped counter religious objections to the bill by mobilizing support from many faith leaders. She organized 300 clergy members to sign a letter endorsing the bill, and a press conference Monday featured supporters from diverse faiths, including an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a Roman Catholic nun, Garcia said.

"We're all ecstatic here," he added. "It's a great day for the great state of Illinois."