Same-Sex Civil Unions To Become Legal In Illinois

[MineralMan]

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/193912/81/Same-Sex-Civil-Unions-To-Become-Legal-In-Illinois

"Couples in civil unions will have the same state rights as married couples. Civil unions must be dissolved by court order, the same as marriages, and those already in a civil union cannot enter into a second without the first being dissolved.

Clark said that the federal government does not recognize such unions, so that couples joined in Illinois civil unions must still file their federal income taxes separately.

As of June 1, Illinois will recognize, as civil unions, those civil unions and same-sex marriages performed in other states."

more at link...
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Although such laws don't meet the goal of complete marriage equality, I'm celebrating Illinois' adoption of this law, since it's a solid step toward it and makes one more state that supports equality in concept and in deed. The job won't be done until the federal government applies the equal treatment concept and requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions like these as valid and equal to any other marriage. That's going to require a very strong majority in Congress on the Democratic side, and that's not going to be in place for a couple more election cycles, I think. Either that, or the SCOTUS has to rule in some case in a way that has the same effect, and I don't see that coming from the current SCOTUS.

However, Hurrah! for Illinois for their taking of this additional step towards the goal.

[sofa king]

1. Pat Robertson predicts flooding and tornados for Illinois....

And also beer-drinking and college football.

[PatSeg]

2. K&R

[LLStarks]

3. As long as the same rights are conferred, I don't care about the name.

Family values folks can eat it.

[MineralMan]

4. Well, I'd prefer that there was no distinction at all.

I believe that should be a matter of the application of equal rights of all citizens, as guaranteed by the Constitution. I'm glad for this IL law, but wish it weren't necessary. It shouldn't be necessary. Still, it's something to celebrate, as I assume many people in Illinois will be doing on June 1.

[nichomachus]

5. So you would be OK with

Marriage for white people and only civil unions for blacks
Marriage for Christians and only civil unions for Jews
etc.

[JonLP24]

6. Here are some (or the) differences

http://lesbianlife.about.com/cs/wedding/a/unionvmarriage.htm

[MineralMan]

7. Exactly. Marriage should be available to all.

Lacking that, a civil union is better than no legal recognition of the relationship. It's not enough, but it's better than nothing.

For me, the only real answer is for bans on same-sex marriage to be thrown out at the federal level by the SCOTUS. I don't see that as an immediate possibility, though.

I imagine that many Illinois couples will be taking advantage of this law that is coming into effect. I celebrate with them.

[LynneSin]

8. Well Delaware beat you by a month

They said that business is starting to boom with couples planning their weddings down in Rehobeth but the bill doesn't become official until Jan 1st.

[1awake]

9. I love Rehobeth,

and wish that marriage was legal for all loving couples.. not Civil Unions, but I guess it's in the right direction.

[LynneSin]

11. Delaware has a DOMA in their constitution. To get that removed will take alot more effort

and the folks in congress felt they couldn't wait that long to give same sex couples their equal rights. Passing a civil union law they could do today but altering the state's constitution could take years.

The law they wrote is very well defined that gives 99.9999% same rights to gay couples as they do straight. The only thing it doesn't offer - the right to call it a marriage.

It also gives protections to churches who might not want to perform these services. That's always been one of the arguments for the right as to why same sex couples should be allowed to marry/civil union - some folks felt churches would be persecuted for not performing the ceremony. Honestly, I think it's bullshit because Churches get paid for having these services, but putting that in there will prevent any church from suing to have the law overturned since they are protected. And there are plenty of denominations that will happily perform the ceremony so it's all good.

BTW, technically a church doesn't have to marry anyone they don't want to marry. I would be rejected by any Catholic church simply because I am not catholic - churches have always had the right to decide who they would marry.

[1awake]

12. I get it,

and think churches should have the right to marry or not marry whoever they want. I also think that marriage via church or not should be legal for all. I'm all for any step in the right direction, I just never forget the ultimate goal of legal equality. Thank you for the info LynnSin!

[mopinko]

17. chicago will reap a huge bounty here.

there are so many ways to get married in chicago, so many ways to spend money small and large.

[backscatter712]

10. Meanwhile, the fundies are losing their minds.

They're afraid that their abusive, battering imaginary sky-daddy will put on his wife-beater shirt, pull off his belt and give humanity an ass-whoopin!

[Initech]

13. Didn't FOTF already declare the war on same sex marriage lost?

If so good, I'm tired of hearing from these so-called "Family" organizations. :puke:

[tavalon]

14. Woot!

One by one, they fall.

[Capitalocracy]

15. Cue the debate - step in the right direction or "separate but equal" discrimination?

I could never figure it out. I'm sure most of us here want full equality and recognize that this isn't it... but hopefully it's a step in a process that leads to that goal.

[mitchtv]

16. it will take more than a strong majority for any action

it will take backbone, a scarce commodity in D land.