Tag Archives: Illinois

Windy City Times reports that formal complaints have been lodged against two Illinois bed-and-breakfast inns for refusing to host civil union ceremonies. Todd and Mark Wathen of Mattoon, Ill., allege that both the Timber Creek Bed and Breakfast and Beall Mansion Bed and Breakfast discriminated against them by refusing to host their legally recognized ceremony. The Wathen’s attorneys—Betty Tsamis of …

Students at the University of Illinois were ready for Brother Jed’s visit. He’s the one with the “You Deserve Hell” sign. (Via – The Friendly Atheist)

Porno Pete LaBarbera has launched yet another sure-to-fail petition campaign to place an anti-gay amendment before the voters of Illinois. Central to Porno Pete’s petition is the above ten-point list, which is lifted verbatim from the red-caped Catholic loons of Americans for Tradition, Family & Property. NOTE: LaBarbera’s petition instructions include a rather stern set of directions about the proper …

“Child welfare? What child will be better off if there are fewer competent agencies recruiting loving homes for children? This is meanness, pure and simple, animated by an irrational hatred towards our great religious faith traditions. It is the result of the core ideas now driving the movement to redefine marriage: gay is like black, which makes our great traditional …

An Illinois GOP state senator has filed a bill that would grant a religious exemption to the state’s Civil Union Act. Via the Christian Post: State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) introduced a bill to amend the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act to give faith-based agencies such as Catholic Charities the right to decline an adoption or a …

Well, this is a new one. Chicago’s city leaders have ordered an earlier start and a reduction in the size of the city’s gay pride parade, saying the move is meant to reduce public drunkenness. Chicago is altering the route, size and starting time of its annual Gay Pride Parade to curb public drinking and accommodate crowds that topped 800,000 …

Catholic Charities has lost its request for a stay on the cancellation of its adoption contract with Illinois, a relationship severed by the state when the group refused to serve gay and unmarried couples. Judge John Schmidt on Monday denied Catholic Charities’ request to stay his earlier ruling that the group has no right to state contracts to provide adoption …

Last week the red-caped Catholic loons of Tradition, Values, & Property took their crew of brainwashed zombie teen summer campers to Chicago, where they stood on street corners and exhorted passersby to support their vision of a Vatican-controlled America. In the clip below, you won’t see TFP members shouting vile insults at opponents, those parts are always edited out. But …

An Illinois judge has ruled that the state acted legally when it canceled its adoption contract with Catholic Charities. The state’s move came after Catholic Charities declared that it would not abide by the new civil unions law and treat gay couples fairly. “The fact that the Plaintiffs have contracted with the State to provide foster care and adoption services …

The Illinois-based mega-church Willow Creek says it is cutting its ties with Exodus International, the infamous group of “ex-gay” liars who promote reparative therapy. Susan DeLay, director of media relations at the mega-church, says Willow Creek ending its relationship with Exodus does not mean it is any less welcoming to people with same-sex attraction, as “Willow Creek has a whole …

An Illinois judge has temporarily reinstated Catholic Charities as a state-funded adoption agency. This move comes one day after Illinois announced it was severing Catholic Charities’ contract because it was apparent that the group would not abide by the new civil unions law. Judge John Schmidt said the abrupt termination of the contracts could affect foster kids’ well-being despite the …

The state of Illinois has severed its relationship with Catholic Charities, ending all involvement and financial support for its adoption and foster programs. Though four Catholic Charities agencies had already stopped licensing new foster parents, three of them will seek an injunction from a Sangamon County judge on Tuesday to continue serving families and abiding by Catholic principles that prohibit …

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has endorsed same-sex marriage, saying that he hopes Illinois soon follows the example of New York. Emanuel is Barack Obama’s former White House chief of staff. “I would hope that the state would move in that direction,” Emanuel said in the interview that aired Wednesday. “Tremendous progress has been made across the country on a value …

The management of a company that provides floats to Chicago Pride arrived this morning to find dozens of slashed tires. Chuck Huser, owner of long-time Pride float provider Assocated Attractions at 4834 S. Halsted on Chicago’s South Side, said the floats were fine when he left 8 p.m. Saturday night, but when he returned 5 a.m. Sunday to start preparation …

“The Catholic Church has often affirmed that here is no ‘right to adopt.’ It is a privilege and responsibility to be granted only to those married couples who can demonstrate, through their loving, permanent commitment to each other, their ability to make a lifetime commitment to raising a child in the best environment possible. May God bless these shepherds, their …

Two more Catholic adoption agencies in Illinois have decided to close their doors rather than comply with the state’s new civil unions law. They’d rather see children go without families. 

 Glenn Van Cura, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, told The Advocate that his office is not accepting applications for new foster care or adoptive …

“The so-called Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act has already done more harm to religious freedom than good. The Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford has announced that it will close its doors on the church’s adoption program before subjecting children to placement in homosexual homes. Like it did in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church refused to violate …