Illinois Reps seek to reaffirm gay marriage ban
Tue. July 24, 2012 5:15 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Four Illinois lawmakers have introduced a resolution to uphold Illinois' ban on same-sex marriage and calls on the General Assembly to adopt a constitutional amendment against marriage equality.
House Joint Resolution 95 was introduced by Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) on July 19 with support from Reps. David Reis (R-Sainte Marie), Paul Evans (R-O'Fallon) and Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon).
"Obviously with the General Assembly in recess for the year this will not be going anywhere fast," said Lowell Jaffe, political and policy director for The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA). "But, with that said, we take these attacks on the LGBT community very seriously and will continue to fight them."
The resolution further urges the members of the General Assembly to adopt a constitutional amendment (HJRCA 50) introduced by Rep. Reis stating "only a marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Illinois."
"A constitutional amendment has been introduced many times before and it has failed," said Rick Garcia, Director of the Illinois Marriage Project for TCRA.
TCRA Executive Director Anthony Martinez said the resolution was "obviously a reaction" to lawsuits filed earlier this year by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal challenging the state on marriage equality.
"Nationwide over 50% of people support the right to marry for same-gender couples," said Martinez. "Civil unions have failed in Illinois, and I for one would like to see the General Assembly take up the equal marriage bill introduced by Rep. Greg Harris earlier this year."
House Joint Resolution 95 was introduced by Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) on July 19 with support from Reps. David Reis (R-Sainte Marie), Paul Evans (R-O'Fallon) and Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon).
"Obviously with the General Assembly in recess for the year this will not be going anywhere fast," said Lowell Jaffe, political and policy director for The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA). "But, with that said, we take these attacks on the LGBT community very seriously and will continue to fight them."
The resolution further urges the members of the General Assembly to adopt a constitutional amendment (HJRCA 50) introduced by Rep. Reis stating "only a marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Illinois."
"A constitutional amendment has been introduced many times before and it has failed," said Rick Garcia, Director of the Illinois Marriage Project for TCRA.
TCRA Executive Director Anthony Martinez said the resolution was "obviously a reaction" to lawsuits filed earlier this year by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal challenging the state on marriage equality.
"Nationwide over 50% of people support the right to marry for same-gender couples," said Martinez. "Civil unions have failed in Illinois, and I for one would like to see the General Assembly take up the equal marriage bill introduced by Rep. Greg Harris earlier this year."