Illinois Gov. Undecided on Marriage Equality

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

February 15 2012 3:10 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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Illinois governor Pat Quinn, who last year enthusiastically signed a civil unions bill into law, is less certain about marriage rights for same-sex couples.

Quinn, a Democrat, said he wants to study the issues surrounding marriage equality before making a decision on the recently introduced legislation, the Associated Press reports. The state's three openly gay lawmakers introduced the bill last week in the House of Representatives.

LGBT activists remained hopeful that Quinn would support the measure. "As the governor continues to consider the needs of gay and lesbian couples in loving, committed relationships, I hope that he will become a champion of their full marriage equality," Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of the gay rights group Equality Illinois, told ChicagoPride.com. He added, "In the meantime, the challenge is for us in the LGBT equality movement to ensure that we build on the momentum for marriage equality and deliver the bill to governor's desk as soon as possible."

ChicagoPride.com notes that Quinn, a Catholic, has received criticism from conservatives and some religious leaders for his pro-gay and pro-choice positions. Quinn narrowly won the governor's race in 2010 over far-right Republican Bill Brady. Some observers believe LGBT voters were crucial to Quinn's victory.