Though the winner of the GOP gubernatorial nomination is still a toss up between Kirk Dillard and Bill Brady, front-runner Brady is already making plans for the Illinois gay community--he wants to change state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
"I'm trying to give the government back to the people," Sen. Brady (R-Bloomington) said regarding his proposal, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently, he means the straight people.
The proposal would also ban civil unions in the state.
Though Brady ran promising to rid the state of insider corruption and overspending, his ultra-conservative values were rarely addressed throughout the campaign.
Aside from his opposition to gay marriage and civil unions, Brady voted against a state law passed in 2005 that banned discrimination against gays and lesbians in matters of housing and employment, according to a Chicago Tribune profile.
Brady is also against abortion in cases of rape and incest--and cases when the health of the mother is at risk. He wants to allow schools to teach creationism as well.
Brady's opponent Dillard is also opposed to gay marriage and civil unions, but it was not clear whether he would try to change the Constitution over the issue.
Shawn Healy, managing director of the McCormick Freedom Project, said Brady likely made the proposal as a defensive measure:
"As for the advantage of banning something that it already illegal, it's a defensive measure more than anything to stave off judicial rulings and legislative maneuvers that would make gay marriage or civil unions legal," Healy told HuffPost Chicago in an email. "The Defense of Marriage Act accomplished this on a statutory level, and a slew of state constitutional amendments responded to the Massachusetts ruling to prevent similar judicial decrees. Proposition 8 in California was an ex post facto response to a court ruling."
The proposal is another serious hit for the gay community in Illinois. While Dan Hynes campaigned promising that he would work for marriage equality, Gov. Pat Quinn opposes gay marriage, leaving many wondering if gay marriage will ever happen in Illinois.
Healy said Brady probably won't line up the votes needed for a constitutional amendment, "however, he could and likely will wield his veto pen to reject any measure granting civil unions or gay marriage."