Civil Unions signed into law at the Chicago Cultural Center: Photos

Photos: Ashley Esposito

At roughly 4pm today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed the “Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act” sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris. The new law permits both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to enter into civil unions in the state of Illinois, granting them the same benefits, protections, and responsibilities under Illinois law as that of spouses. Yet, it is still quite a ways off from actual marriage. For example, couples entering civil unions do not, however, receive any rights or benefits under federal law. Illinois still does not permit same-sex couples to marry. And the law explicitly allows religious entities to choose not to officiate civil unions. Couples can begin obtaining civil unions and the rights/responsibilities that comes with them on June 1, 2011.

Updated 2/1: From TOC's Gay & Lesbian editor Jason Heidemann:

"The greatest thing about Illinois," said Governor Pat Quinn to a packed house at the Chicago Cultural Center yesterday at 4:14pm, "is that we're a welcoming, accepting, hospitable place." Quinn invoked Abraham Lincoln as he congratulated both the audience and House and Senate members who voted 'yes' on the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act, a bill that brings Illinois one step closer to marriage equality. "We believe in civil rights and we believe in civil unions," he said.

Some were bewildered when both the Governor and bill sponsor Greg Harris invoked the will of the people, referring to the majority that was able to pass the bill, but nevertheless a stinging notion when you consider the narrow majority that both took away the rights of same-sex couples in California to marry and now uses the 'will of the people' rhetoric to demonize Judge Walker, the district court judge who overturned Prop 8 on August 4, 2010. Some cringed when Governor Quinn spoke of "yielding to the majority." But mostly, the politicians that followed Quinn and Harris stuck to tear-inducing rhetoric.

Harris received wild applause as he took to the podium and even received a thunderous "Thank you Greg!" from the second to the last row. Harris thanked Daley and the Chicago Cultural Center before acknowledging the hard work of "thousands of men and women, gay, straight, bi and trans, young people and seniors, faith communities, proud sisters and brothers, parents and grandparents across the state's 102 counties..." Harris also forewarned, "There's more work to be done. Things can get better." Harris spoke of a couple in the audience who support the bill because they want both their gay and straight child to have equal and happy lives. He also offered a hat-tip to veterans, faith leaders, activists and both the Democrats and Republicans who supported the bill.

Senator Dave Koehler, a Democrat from Peoria, quoted Victor Hugo who once said that, "Nothing can withstand the force of an idea whose time has come." "Justice," he went on to say, "looks just a little bit better in Illinois today." Koehler talked about signing on as a co-sponsor several years ago and the subsequent letters of both support and hate that he received. Touchingly, Koehler said that having a gay child opened him up to this issue and that it became a conversation point when talking to people who were of a different mindset.

Openly lesbian representative Deb Mell spoke of her own activism on the issue and what it meant to her to attend protests and get arrested on behalf of marriage equality. She pointed to her father, city council Dick Mell and included a touching quote from Mell who said, "If your daughter or your son comes to you and tells you that they're gay, if you have a problem with it you don't deserve to call yourself a parent." She said her and her father's story mended fences by bringing parents and their gay children together. She also offered thanks to Daley for being a mayor who supported marriage equality in the third largest city in America regardless of politics. When she mentioned the name Rick Garcia, the longtime Illinois activist who was ousted in December from Equality Illinois, the equal rights org he helped co-found, the applause was deafening.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan invoked Larry McKeon, the first openly gay member of the Illinois General Assembly member who was also HIV positive and who passed away in 2008 after suffering a stroke at age 63. Stirringly, Madigan brought the important of civil unions home by referencing McKeon's own loss when he was refused visitation rights while his partner lay dying. "With the signing of this bill," said Madigan, "same-sex couples will no longer be denied the nearly 650 rights, benefits and protections of Illinois law." In what was perhaps the afternoon's most poignant moment, Madigan quoted Mildred Loving, the African-American plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court Case that overturned the ban on interracial marriage. On the 40th anniversary of that ruling Loving said, "I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about."

Two Republicans, including Illinois State Comptroller and former Treasurer Judy Baar-Topinka, and current Treasurer Dan Rutherford, supported the Bill and were present at the signing. Topinka, suffering from a sore throat, ceded her time to Rutherford. Rutherford received repeated laughs for stating, "I'm from a small town in Central Illinois and I'm a Republican." He also served as a Senate Republican before becoming Treasurer and noted that his last act as Illinois Senator was to vote yes on the Civil Unions Bill. "I fought long and hard about it and I listened to the people," he said. "This bill isn't just for same-sex partners, this bill is for opposite-sex partners as well."

At some point during the ceremony, I overheard two friends talking. One of them was referencing a colleague or friend of his and was describing that person as an ex-gay. "He's doing it for his mother," he said. I wondered, would his mother not be proud of her gay son if she were at the Chicago Cultural Center yesterday? To not be moved by the hundreds of men and women of all races, ages and sexual orientations coming together for equal rights and fairness in the Land of Lincoln, you'd have to be made of stone.