IL Is Latest State With Marriage Equality

[Altair]

They're falling like dominoes! Hats off to all the activists in Illinois who put in the hard work to make this happen. Onward to [fill in the state]

Illinois Sends Bill Allowing Gay Marriage to Governor

The Illinois House of Representatives voted Tuesday to allow same-sex couples to wed, ending months of delay over the issue in the Capitol and clearing the way for Illinois to become the 15th state, along with the District of Columbia, to permit gay couples to marry.

The vote was 61 to 54, mostly along partisan lines, with only three Republicans voting yes. Eleven Democrats voted no, and two voted present.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/us/illinois-sends-bill-allowing-gay-marriage-to-governor.html?_r=0

[Altair]

Onward to [fill in the state]

Hawaii's legislature is debating it as we speak; they may be next.

[Morag]

They're falling like dominoes! Hats off to all the activists in Illinois who put in the hard work to make this happen. Onward to [fill in the state]

Illinois Sends Bill Allowing Gay Marriage to Governor




http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/us/illinois-sends-bill-allowing-gay-marriage-to-governor.html?_r=0

 
Hooray!

[Morag]

Hawaii's legislature is debating it as we speak; they may be next.

 
Oh gods I hope so, seeing as in 1993 it looked like it would be the first state to recognize gay marriage.

And then 1998 and the voter amendment happened. I remember going with my best friend to a birthday party with another friend of hers, and we were in the car with her parents. We passed a bunch of people on the side of the road holding signs saying "Ban gay marriage" and the parent driving us honked and gave them shaka. And my best friend was like "Excuse you." And we both got into an argument with this dude about it, with him saying "Oh, gay people aren't the problem, it's what they DO." My best friend immediately told him it was a logical fallacy and he was wrong, and we argued the entire way to the birthday party, to no avail.

I remember shaking with rage, because he was telling me my aunt -- OUR aunt, our Ohana -- didn't deserve basic human rights, because of what he thought his BOOK told him.

(We did not remain friends with this other person for very long.)

[Cabal]

They're falling like dominoes! Hats off to all the activists in Illinois who put in the hard work to make this happen. Onward to [fill in the state]

Illinois Sends Bill Allowing Gay Marriage to Governor




http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/us/illinois-sends-bill-allowing-gay-marriage-to-governor.html?_r=0

Good to hear!!

[Altair]

Oh gods I hope so, seeing as in 1993 it looked like it would be the first state to recognize gay marriage.

So true. Hawaii got the ball rolling, yet hasn't yet been able to make it past the finish line. Fingers crossed that's about to change.

[RandallS]

They're falling like dominoes! Hats off to all the activists in Illinois who put in the hard work to make this happen. Onward to [fill in the state]

Illinois Sends Bill Allowing Gay Marriage to Governor

Great News. I assume the governor is expected to sign the bill -- the article doesn't mention it one way or another.

[Skyth]

Great News. I assume the governor is expected to sign the bill -- the article doesn't mention it one way or another.

 
From what I heard on the radio coming in this morning, yes he is planning on signing it.

[RandallS]

From what I heard on the radio coming in this morning, yes he is planning on signing it.

Thank you! I sort of assumed that when the article did not mention it, but we all know what happens when I "assume."

[victoreia]

So true. Hawaii got the ball rolling, yet hasn't yet been able to make it past the finish line. Fingers crossed that's about to change.

 
While it has passed in the Senate, and apparently in the House, it wasn't without revisions. (I haven't been following it closely, for a couple of reasons, so I don't know the specifics, but one revision involved "protecting" groups/individuals who refuse to perform marriages for gay couples. :rolleye:: )

Sadly, opponents were busing people in to speak against it. And of course all the testimony times were during the work day....

[Materialist]

They're falling like dominoes! Hats off to all the activists in Illinois who put in the hard work to make this happen.

Well, it wasn't all giggles and roses. The November 10th issue of the Chicago Tribune released the statistics on who voted for the bill-and it was literally, 99% of Democrats voted yes, and 99% of Republicans voted no. Such a cartoonish caricature would be funny if it weren't real.

And no, my district did not help out. It would not surprise me if I were the only person who told Mrs. Pihos that SB 10 was a good idea-one, because she mentioned in an interview that the vast majority of her district opposes gay rights, and two: one time when I went to vote, one of the staff exclaimed "oh! so you're the other democrat who comes here!" The Lone Liberal of the Dupage plains.

I confirmed her no-vote through an NBC Chicago website, which listed everyone's vote. And she has announced her wish to be re-elected next year. I'm never going to vote for her again, and probably never any Republican regardless of his or her credentials.

[Altair]

I'm never going to vote for her again, and probably never any Republican regardless of his or her credentials.

That's the point I've been at for decades, M. Being black and gay and supporting the Republican Party--at least the party as it has been over my lifetime--is the next best thing to being Jewish and voting for the Nazis.

[Altair]

So true. Hawaii got the ball rolling, yet hasn't yet been able to make it past the finish line. Fingers crossed that's about to change.

It's done! The Hawaiian Senate just passed the version of their same-sex marriage bill as amended by their House of Representatives!

http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/2013/11/love-wins-marriage-for-hawaii.html

As soon as Governor Neil Abercrombie signs it into law (as early as tomorrow; he's a big supporter of same-sex marriage, and I'm proud to say I'm a supporter of his, having contributed to his campaign), Hawaii will become marriage equality state #15 (bumping IL to #16, since their governor isn't scheduled to sign theirs into law until Nov. 20)

I'm putting my money on Oregon next, which would make a nice marriage equality band running along the uttermost west of the U.S. (CA, WA, HI, & OR; but not AK--not anytime soon)