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If you have been on Facebook this week, then there is a 110% chance that you’ve already seen this picture while scrolling through your news feed.
To anyone who has been living under a rock, the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act passed the Illinois General Assembly by a vote of 61-54 this past Tuesday, making Illinois the 15th state in the country to legalize gay marriage. It will be sent to Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, who has previously stated that he would sign the legislation if it passed the Assembly, on November 20th.
This new legislation won’t take effect until June 1st of next year, but that just means newly and long-term engaged couples will have some more time to plan their weddings.
Am I excited for this? Of course! The fight for marriage equality in our country feels like another civil rights movement in itself – a long, drawn-out struggle for rights and freedom that should have been granted at birth in the first place. While the fight for legalizing gay marriage across the entire country still has a long way to go, I think it’s important to step back once in a while and celebrate the victories that have been achieved so far.
Chicago ranks #3 for the largest gay population in the country, with an estimated population of over 114,000. Boystown makes up one of the most unique cultural aspects of Chicago neighborhoods, and the LGBT community is also behind the Gay Pride Parade, the International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and Northalsted Market Days, just to name the most well-known events.
Whether you agree or disagree with gay marriage, just answer this: Does everyone deserve love?
I think we all know the answer.
C’mon, did you really think I wasn’t gonna post this in this blog post?
Further information about the passage of the Illinois marriage equality bill can be found here:
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