With marriage equality having passed the Illinois Senate last week and Governor Pat Quinn's promise to sign a marriage equality bill if it reaches his desk, the push to add Illinois to the list of states that provide full civil legal equality to LGBT citizens now moves to the Illinois House. The Chicago Tribune has urged the House to pass the marriage equality bill in a main sheet editorial. Here are highlights from the editorial:
Now, with the momentum of public support behind them, lawmakers are within one floor vote of going the distance. With the approval of the House — and Gov. Pat Quinn's promised signature — Illinois would become the 10th state to allow same-sex couples to wed.
The Senate passed the measure Thursday, 34-21. We urge the House to finish the job. If the measure is approved, state laws would apply equally to marriages between "two persons," instead of between "a man and a woman." In the eyes of the law, in other words, a spouse is a spouse. Same-sex couples would have the same benefits and protections as heterosexual couples. And yes, they'd have the state's official sanction of their marriage.
Government validation isn't the same as a religious blessing, and it shouldn't be. That has always been an important distinction, and it's the reason Illinois and other states acted first to allow civil unions. Marriage has deeply religious connotations for many people, and many faiths have moral objections to same-sex partnerships.
Out of respect for those beliefs, the Illinois measure explicitly states that ministers and churches would not be required to recognize or solemnize gay marriages — in the same way that some churches decline to marry mixed-faith couples or divorced people.
We hope Republicans in the House will be brave enough to support this for the reason cited by Barickman, because citizens "want our government to give individuals freedom over their life decisions."
Allowing same-sex couples to wed under the law would not devalue traditional marriage. It would affirm the bedrock values that underlie and sustain such unions. Marriage promotes stable families, safeguards the interests of children and rewards committed relationships.
Recognizing same-sex marriages demonstrates respect for personal freedoms and keeps government out of the intimate affairs of citizens. More people in same-sex relationships are adopting or giving birth to children; this provides the security of a legal commitment for those children. It's the fair thing to do.
Public opinion is shifting with remarkable speed. In November, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved referendums allowing gay marriage, and in Minnesota, voters rejected a constitutional amendment to ban it.
That support has been building in Springfield, too, as evidenced by the Senate vote. Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady announced his support for same-sex marriage, prompting an attempt by some conservatives to oust him from the party post. That attempt failed. Undeterred by the risk of repercussions, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, also a Republican, recently urged lawmakers to "go for it." Ladies and gentlemen of the House, it's your turn to step up.
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