Tag Archives: Illinois

ILLINOIS: Six Of Seven Anti-Gay State GOP Committee Members Lose Seats

Remember how NOM vowed revenge on former Illinois state GOP chairman Pat Brady for endorsing same-sex marriage? Brady did end up resigning but also gone now are most of his detractors on the state GOP committee. Illinois Republicans across the state held elections for all 18 state central committee member posts this week, replacing six of the seven officials who …

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ILLINOIS: Lambda Legal Sues Doctor For Refusing Medication To Trans Woman

Lambda Legal yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against an Illinois doctor for refusing to prescribe hormone replacement therapy for a transgender woman. The suit alleges that such a denial is a violation of the Affordable Care Act. Lambda writes: Kenneth Upton, Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal, said: “The provisions of the Affordable Care Act are clear: doctors receiving federal funds …

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Now Appearing On Chicago Mass Transit

Lambda Legal this week debuted its first-ever mass transit campaign on Chicago’s red line. “This is a celebration campaign,” said Jim Bennett, Regional Director for the Midwest Regional Office of Lambda Legal. “We’re very happy to have our plaintiff couples as the faces of a campaign on the CTA Red line, a great place to be seen by our community. …

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Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: Michigan’s marriage ban is unconstitutional. Oklahoma couples fight back in court against an anti-gay group making misleading claims about children. A pro-equality ruling is delayed, pending appeal. But another is put in place as of now. We have some important hearings coming up very soon. And pro-equality Republicans hang on to their seats in a tight election.

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ILLINOIS: Activist Vernita Gray, First In State To Legally Marry, Dies At 65

Back in November, an Illinois judge ruled that longtime LGBT activist Vernita Gray (above left) could marry her partner Patricia Ewert (above right) ahead of the scheduled start date due to her terminal illness. Gray passed away yesterday at the age of 65. Gray died late Tuesday of cancer at the same Chicago home where she married Patricia Ewert in …

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ILLINOIS: NOM Fails To Unseat Three GOP Same-Sex Marriage Supporters

Despite bitter campaigns by NOM and the Illinois Family Institute, all three GOP Illinois state legislators who voted for same-sex marriage won their primary elections yesterday, although one may face a recount. They were gonna be punished! Via the Washington Post: When the Illinois state House passed a bill to legalize gay marriage last fall, just three out of 47 …

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CHICAGO: Taxi Group Threatens To Out Five Gay Aldermen Over Ride-Sharing Plan

CBS Chicago reports that a trade newspaper for the local taxi industry is threatening to out five “closeted homosexual” Chicago city aldermen over their support for ride-sharing services like Uber. But this is probably all a prank. In an editorial in The Chicago Dispatcher, publisher George Lutfallah said the trade publication “has learned that five of the city’s 50 aldermen …

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Hate Group Has The Illinois Sadz

“As a result of last month’s irresponsible judicial decision in Cook County which usurps the proper legislative process, county clerks are now issuing same-sex ‘marriage’ licenses across the state of Illinois. Making and implementing law is strictly a function of the General Assembly. Ignoring the proper roles of the three branches of government sets an extremely dangerous precedent. When unelected …

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ILLINOIS: AG Tells All Counties They Can Issue Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan last night issued a letter encouraging all counties to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses. The letter was sent to the Macon County clerk’s office, in response to a request for legal guidance following a Feb. 21 ruling from U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. The ruling allows Cook County same-sex couples to get married now, …

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Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: “We have a schedule for the appeal of AFER’s victory in Virginia, and it’s moving at a breakneck pace. Plus huge victories this week in Kentucky, Illinois and Texas. A trial continues in Michigan, and we have new polling data in numerous states, and it’s all good news.”

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ILLINOIS: Court Rules That Gay Marriages May Commence In Cook County

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a court has ruled that same-sex marriages may commence immediately in Cook County. The law was due to go into effect statewide on June 1st.  UPDATE: From the ACLU of Illinois. I am so pleased to let you know that a short while ago, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ordered Cook County Clerk …

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IL GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Sued For Sexual Harassment Of Male Staffer

Illinois state treasurer and candidate for governor Dan Rutherford has been sued by a male former staffer for sexual harassment. The lawsuit comes five weeks before the March 18 gubernatorial primary in which Rutherford was seen as the clear runner-up to frontrunner Winnetka venture capitalist Bruce Rauner. The former employee, Ed Michalowski, accused Rutherford of making unwanted sexual advances against …

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Bishop Thomas Paprocki: Anti-Gay Exorcisms Are Totally An Act Of Love

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG:  In September 2012, Paprocki told his diocese that if they vote for a Democrat, Satan will take their soul. In January of 2013, Paprocki testified against same-sex marriage before the Illinois legislature. Paprocki then ordered all of the priests in his parish to read an anti-gay letter to their congregations.  Also in January 2013, Paprocki defended a …

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Illinois Hate Group Has The Grammy Sadz

“Beyoncé’s vulgar anti-woman, anti-marriage performance foreshadowed the climactic set piece of the evening: Queen Latifah, long-rumored to be a lesbian, officiated at the ‘weddings’ of 33 couples, many of whom were same-sex couples, while accompanied by the preachy, feckless song ‘Same Love’ by Macklemore and the song ‘Open Your Heart’ by the Dorian Gray-esque Madonna. It was a sorry, sick, …

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ILLINOIS: GOP Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Repeal Same-Sex Marriage

Illinois GOP state Sen. Kyle McCarter has introduced a bill to repeal same-sex marriage before it even goes into effect. Buzzfeed‘s Tony Merverick points out that McCarter’s bill is going nowhere. With a Senate and House controlled by Democrats — who just voted in favor of marriage equality in November — and a governor who pressed for equal marriage rights …

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ILLINOIS: Bed & Breakfast Owner Vows To Refuse To Host Same-Sex Weddings

In 2011 a gay couple filed a complaint against the owner of an Illinois bed & breakfast after he refused to host their civil union ceremony. The resolution of that complaint is still pending before the state Human Rights Commission, but with same-sex marriage becoming legal in Illinois this June, the venue’s owner has doubled-down on his vow to refuse …

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Schock Makes Instagram Account Private

A few days ago John Aravosis posted an AmericaBlog column titled The 7 Gayest Aaron Schock Instagram Posts Of 2013 in which he needled Schock’s famous sense of fashion and devotion to bodybuilding. That AmericaBlog post was referenced in yesterday’s Facebook piece on Schock by CBS reporter Itay Hod. And JMG reader Michael reports that Schock today made his Instagram …

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ILLINOIS: Terminally Ill Lesbian Marries In State’s First Legal Same-Sex Wedding

Illinois today saw its first-ever same-sex wedding after a terminally ill lesbian was granted permission to marry months before the law goes into effect. When Illinois became the 16th state to legalize gay marriage earlier this month, it was bittersweet for the couple, in their mid-60s. They feared that Vernita Gray might not live until the law would allow them …

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ILLINOIS: Terminally Ill Lesbian Allowed To Marry Before Law Goes Into Effect

An Illinois judge has ruled that a terminally ill lesbian may marry her partner before the same-sex marriage law goes into effect next summer. County Clerk David Orr said he will comply with the court’s order, handed down Monday by Judge Thomas Durkin. A lawsuit was filed Friday by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois seeking immediate action for …

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VIDEO: Watch The Full Illinois Marriage Equality Bill Signing Ceremony

In case you didn’t get to watch it live yesterday, the state of Illinois has posted the full video of  the marriage equality bill signing ceremony. The clip is on auto-play, so turn it down before you click over. (Tipped by JMG reader Thomas)

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