Suburban Mayors Line Up Behind Same Sex Marriage for Illinois

They mayors signed a letter urging the Illinois House to pass a marriage equality bill

A group of seven mayors from the suburbs of Chicago signed a letter urging the Illinois House of Representatives to pass a marriage equality bill during the upcoming veto session next week in Springfield.

The letter calls for the Illinois House to follow the state Senate and pass SB 10, known as the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. The bill would grant same sex couples the right to marry in Illinois.

“Each day, we see same sex couples and their families who suffer because they are denied the full protections of law, protections that strengthen families,” the mayors said in the letter. “These families cannot wait any longer for the State of Illinois to respect their freedom to marry.”

The suburban mayors join a number of mayors across the state, including Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, Elizabeth Tisdale of Evanston, Donald Gerald of Champaign and others in supporting the legislation.

The battle over same sex marriage in Illinois has been heated, and has seen rallies, activists campaigns and debates in editorial pages across the state. SB 10 passed in February on Valentines Day. Illinois allowed civil unions in 2011. There are now 14 states, plus Washington D.C., that allow gay marriage.

The seven mayors include:

  • Mayor Kevin Burns – Geneva
  • Mayor Bob Hausler - Plano
  • Mayor Stephan Pickett - Sleepy Hollow
  • Mayor Dale Berman - North Aurora
  • Mayor Ray Rogina - St. Charles
  • Mayor Dave Anderson – Elburn
  • Mayor Gary J. Golinski - Yorkville
     
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