On Jan. 31, 2011, Illinois became the sixth state to legalize civil unions and domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian couples after Governor Pat Quinn passed the Illinois Religious Freedom and Protection and Civil Union Act, making Civil Unions available for same-sex couples in Illinois.
Civil unions are legal contracts between gay and lesbian partners that offer some of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage, but only at a state level. The new law provides formerly unavailable rights to homosexual couples. These rights that will go into effect on June 1 include joint parental rights of children or joint adoption, status as “next-of-kin” for hospital visits and medical decisions, social security, Medicare, joint insurance plans, and many other benefits.
"Illinois is taking an historic step forward in embracing fairness and extending basic dignity to all couples in our state. We commend Governor Quinn for signing this bill," said John Knight, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Project of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Illinois.
Illinois citizens also approve this new bill, according to a Chicago Tribune poll last September. Fifty-seven percent of respondents approved the legalization of civil unions while 32 percent did not. With the Civil Union officially passed, many wonder if legalizing gay marriage soon to follow. Regardless of the next steps or what the future may hold for homosexual couples, Illinois’s act has recognizably made its mark in history.
By Ellie Fink
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