Equality In Illinois

Will the Second City become the next hot spot for same-sex marriage?  Illinois lawmakers in both parties seem to want to go in that direction, after a little pushing from the President.  And yes, that means Illinois Republicans are getting behind something they see passing as inevitable.  Leading that contingent is state GOP chair Pat Brady.

Brady emphasized the calls were being made to express his personal views only. The Illinois Republican Party platform (PDF) still endorses only the “traditional family,” which is “based on the principle of marriage between one man and one woman.”

Brady told the conservative publication Illinois Review that the “true conservative position is in favor” of allowing same sex marriage.

Illinois state Rep. Greg Harris (D) and state Sen. Heather Steans (D) hope to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act during the lame-duck session, which ends next week. The bill would provide married same sex couples with all the protections and benefits granted to married opposite sex couples, while allowing churches to decide whether or not they will perform same sex marriages.

So it looks like Illinois could have a same sex marriage law on the books in a matter of days, joining New York, nearly all of New England (I'm looking at you, Rhode Island), Washington and Iowa.  Change marches on.