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Edited on Sat Apr-05-08 11:55 AM by terrya
At least here in Illinois.
Last year, there was a bill, HB 1826, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris, an openly gay Democrat, introduced here in the General Assembly. HB 1826 would create civil unions here in Illinois. Please don't flame me about us meekly accepting civil unions...we deserve marriage and I will fight for marriage equality until the day I die. But, realistically, politically, marriage isn't going to happen...for now...in Illinois. Currently, same-sex couples in this state have nothing, as far as marriage benefits are concerned. Civil unions are something.
HB 1826 is being lobbied for right now...there's an expectation that the bill will go to a vote this year. Illinois' Governor, Rod Blagojevich, says he supports civil unions. I'm reasonably sure he would sign this bill. And I think, given that we have a Democratic governor and a Democratic General Assembly, that this could very well pass. The religious bigots will be out en masse to oppose this, of course. But I think the bill could pass in spite of the opposition.
And here's where Barack Obama comes in. Barack Obama can come out in favor of HB 1826 here. He can enthusiastically support it. He can lobby Blagojevich, House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President Emil Jones. He's one of our United States Senators...he has SOME clout in Springfield. He can do this and it would be a real, tangible gesture of his support for the GLBT community.
Obama could be our nominee. Just sayin'.
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