The Chicago Sun-Times published an article about the Supreme Court ruling to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the effect it will have on same-sex couples in Illinois. Because the ACLU of Illinois has been fighting for the freedom to marry in the courts and in the legislature, the Sun-Times spoke with our Communications and Public Policy Director Ed Yohnka:

Without a court ruling or change in Illinois state law, however, the Supreme Court’s Wednesday decision means Illinois couples would not have access to benefits enjoyed by legally married couples.

“What this underscores is what we now have is a situation where there will be people in Minnesota or Iowa that have benefits that will not be extended to couples in Illinois,” Yohnka said. “Even having a civil union does not carry with it 1,100 areas of federal law where being married either offers protections or extends particular benefits.”

Read the entire article.