Civil Unions In Illinois: With Quinn In, Could State See Civil Unions Before Christmas?

As the campaign season drew to a close for Governor Pat Quinn, he publicly vowed to fight for civil unions--whether he was elected or not.

Now, Quinn is in for a full term, and some predict a vote to recognize civil unions among same-sex couples will happen soon.

"I think we're awfully darned close," Rep. Greg Harris told the Chicago Sun-Times. Every year, the openly gay Harris sponsors two bills in the House-- one legalizing civil unions, and the other for gay marriage.

In an October interview with the Daily Herald, Quinn agreed.

"The votes are there, I believe." Quinn told the paper. "In the Senate for sure, and definitely I think we can do it in the House."

But the Sun-Times reported Wednesday that support among Illinois legislators could be wavering following last Tuesday's retention vote in Iowa. Iowans voted not to retain three judges due to their ruling in Varnum v. Brien, the case that legalized same-sex marriage in the state.

"Civil unions, for all intents and purposes, are practically the same as same-sex marriage," Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, told the Sun-Times. "I don't perceive there is a mandate in Illinois on civil unions or same-sex marriage."

Gilligan also told the paper lawmakers should "look at what happened in Iowa" and realize they will be up for reelection once again in two years.

But Gilligan might be misreading where the people of Illinois stand on the issue. In a Chicago Tribune poll released in August, 54 percent of suburban residents said they were in favor legalizing same-sex civil unions. That percentage is even higher in Chicago.

Quinn has also made it clear that he would support a gay marriage bill if "the voters of Illinois want to have it come to pass"--though the votes for that might be tougher to come by.

A vote on the bill could come as early as next week's lame duck session. If it passes, it would be the state's first expansion of gay rights since 2005.

Comments

[kjgirl]

05:22 AM on 11/14/2010

Ur free to marry whoever u want!!! Yay!!!!

[kjgirl]

05:00 AM on 11/14/2010

From now on, everyone is allowed to be FREE to live their life

[kjgirl]

04:59 AM on 11/14/2010

Let people get married already! For Chriss sakes! Heteros got their porn shops, get over ur phobias!!!!!!!

[safe forever]

03:34 PM on 11/19/2010

and porn shops are bad and carry a evil spirit just like homosexuality is a spirit

[ChiGuy]

07:28 PM on 11/13/2010

I don't think that marriage has a chance from the downstate legislators. Once you get into the southern half of the state, you may as well be in Tennessee or Kentucky. On the other hand, civil unions should be able to pass easily.

[Royce Earnest Jr]

05:59 PM on 11/12/2010

While civil unions are are step in the right direction, marriage equality would be ideal. Why does gay marriage have to be put to a vote by the people? Does any straight person
marriage have to be voted on? Whatever happened to the majority not being able to abuse the rights of the minority? In other words, as outlines by our founding fathers straight people ( the majority ) should not be voting on whether gays ( the minority ) should be able to legally marry.

[Aitor Gonzalez]

09:13 PM on 11/11/2010

Quinn has also made it clear that he would support a gay marriage bill if "the voters of Illinois want to have it come to pass"...he is serious? What makes you think that ALL voters in Illinois are going to say yes? And why should it be up to the voters, Quinn? The decision for me to be able get married, so that the state recognizes my partner and I as a married couple, should not be handed over to the voters. The government needs to realize that we are tax-paying citizens that they are discriminating because of their religious morals, and complain about us trying to "redefine" marriage. What is it going to take to make you guys realize is that we want to be equal. That is all, and you are telling us, "We'll take your tax dollars, but we are not going to give you a fundamental right". Thank you guys so freakin' much.

[rextrek]

07:16 AM on 11/11/2010

Golly Gee willickers......lets ASK the Straight people IF its OK IF we can have OUR Civil Rights! ...NO Other Minority grp in this country has to ask anyone else for THEIR RIGHTS......let alone (half-rights)-as CU are NOT Equal to Marriage....... pretty please heteros, can we have the Rights we're entitled too,please? ..and IF Not - can we have "part of"the Rights we're entitled too?

[Royce Earnest Jr]

03:17 PM on 11/10/2010

My boyfriend and I really hope this goes through. We are SO ready for this and will be heartbroken if it does not.

[Des25]

12:46 PM on 11/10/2010

I hope people can just be seen a human beings one day. I don't feel like this is threatening marriage one bit. What's the big fuss about?

[BVictor1]

04:01 AM on 11/11/2010

Oh you know, the morally 'richeous' must holler and scream about gay people being the downfall of society.

You know, the standard.

[Ramjet]

12:21 PM on 11/10/2010

Marriage rights will come in time, across the country. While we are waiting, Illinois is making the right move if they approve civil unions. I hope they will then recognize the civil union my partner and I obtained in Vermont shortly after they became legal there.

There will not be the same pressure on the Illinois politicians who vote in favor of this as there was on the judges in Iowa. Remember 7 judges on the Iowa court made the decision - a unanimous decision by the way. There is no guarantee that the 3 new judges would have ruled any differently. A unanimous decision is hard to overturn in any case.

A legislative decision is probably easier for the voters to be comfortable with.

And religion has absolutley no role to play in whether either civil unions or gay marriage are legal. The fear among many clergy is that they will be forced to perform gay marriages, but anyone clergy authorized to perform marriages can already refuse their services, for any reason, and that should be clarified in any state that allows gay marriages.

[xenas mom]

08:16 AM on 11/11/2010

California has law on the books protecting the clergy. It makes no difference to those who oppose equal rights. We're Californians (I grew up in Illinois and moved to California for graduate school) who were legally married during the 2008 window here. The anti-same sex marriage folks do not want us to have ANY rights. They deny it, but it's true. I'm not sure civil unions will satisfy them; it didn't in Hawaii or Washington State (which nearly lost domestic partnerships because they were "too much like marriage".)

[bhuddaDoc]

11:41 AM on 11/10/2010

I don't care what the Catholic church thinks nor should the legislature. We are not nor ever will be governed by the Vatican as we are a secular nation that respects and honors all religions, but mandates NONE.

[lvogt]

11:31 AM on 11/10/2010

Just skip the civil unions euphemism and let everyone get married if they want.
The trouble with the term marriage is that it is two different things, a civil contract and a religious vow. Let religions do as they wish and let the state protect the rights of all.