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Help our effort to extend basic fairness to all Illinois couples by supporting the creation and recognition of civil unions in Illinois! Contact your state representative and state senator today to support the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (Senate Bill 2436 / House Bill 1826). You can send a free fax to your state senator and state representative by going to https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=587&page=UserAction.
Randy W. of Springfield is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Despite his service to our nation, he is denied many of the benefits that others already enjoy only because he is gay. This reality became clear a few years ago when Randy's life partner Curt was admitted to a Springfield hospital with an illness that would take his life. Randy was denied the ability to spend the night in the hospital alongside Curt - a privilege commonly granted spouses - and was not notified by the hospital when Curt's condition took a turn for the worse. As a result, Randy nearly missed saying goodbye to his life partner as Curt took his final breaths.
Randy's story, tragically, is not unique. Lesbian and gay families – our neighbors, colleagues, family members and friends – in committed long-term relationships are denied hundreds of protections and responsibilities offered by the state. Senate Bill 2436 /House Bill 1826 fix this fundamental flaw in Illinois’ law and offers fairness to all families. Indeed, opposite sex couples, especially the elderly, who do not wish to marry also will benefit from the legislation.
Contact your state senator and state representative today to support the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (Senate Bill 2436 / House Bill 1826). You can send a free fax to them by going to https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=587&page=UserAction.
State Senator Dave Koehler of Peoria has proposed this legislation extending critical legal protections to all persons in Illinois. Senator Koehler’s bill, Senate Bill 2436, grants all those who enter into a civil union important rights and legal protections, including the ability to visit one another in the hospital, share health insurance benefits, and dispose of their partner’s remains in the event of death. This bill, identical to Representative Greg Harris’ House Bill 1826, represents an important step towards treating all Illinois families with fairness and dignity.
In short, Senate Bill 2436 and House Bill 1826 offer fairness and certainty to thousands of couples and their children in Illinois.
Contact your state senator and state representative today to support the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (Senate Bill 2436 / House Bill 1826). You can send a free fax to both by going to https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=587&page=UserAction.
Write a Letter to the Editor
Speak your mind in your local press! Write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of Civil Unions. Below
is a sample letter and a list of Illinois newspapers. Let us know if your letter gets printed!
Sample Letter to the Editor for Supporters of Civil Union Legislation
To the Editor:
The Illinois General Assembly now has an opportunity to take an important step in the movement toward fairness.
A proposal now being considered by the Illinois House creates “civil unions” in our state, allowing all couples
(including same-sex couples) to enjoy the legal protections and responsibilities of marriage. The bill, introduced in
March, provides these protections without offending those who express deep concern about changing the institution of
marriage to help gay and lesbian couples and their families. Without arguments about the religious tradition of marriage
in a church, synagogue or mosque, the issue before the legislature is simply about fairness.
Providing legal protections for same-sex couples recognizes that all persons in long-term, committed relationships face
crises as a family – including decisions about emergency health care, the need to make decisions about disposition of a
loved one’s remains and the desire to share a room in a nursing home or long-term care facility. When married couples
face these crises, they confront no questions about the ability to make decisions or care for their partner. When same-
sex couples face the same challenges, they are often treated as “strangers” in the eyes of the law.
Recognizing civil unions serves one of the primary functions of government – to ensure equal access to basic rights for
all citizens. The leaders of Illinois must act immediately to ensure that all families in Illinois have the basic legal
protections that allow parents and their children to deal with moments of crisis.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
Chicago Sun-Times>
350 N. Orleans St., 9th Floor
Chicago, IL 60654-1771
Ph: 312-321-3000
Fax: 312-321-2566
www.suntimes.com
Chicago Tribune
435 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
Ph: 312-222-3232
Fax: 312-222-4674
www.chicagotribune.com
Daily Herald
P.O. Box 280 / 155 E. Algonquin Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Ph: 847-427-4300
Fax: 847-427-1301
www.dailyherald.com
Daily Southtown
6901 W. 159th St.
Tinley Park, IL 60477
Ph: 708-633-6700
Fax: 708-633-5999
www.dailysouthtown.com
news@dailysouthtown.com
Aurora Beacon News
101 S. River St.
Aurora, IL 60506
Ph: 630-844-5844
Fax: 630-844-1043
www.suburbanchicagonews.com
Chicago Daily Defender
2400 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
Ph: 312-225-2400
Fax: 312-225-5659
www.chicagodefender.com
editorial@chicagodefender.com
Elgin Courier News
300 Lake Street
Elgin, IL 60121
Ph: 847-888-7780
Fax: 847-888-7836
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews
Hoy
435 N. Michigan Ave., 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60611
Ph: 312-527-8400
Fax: 312-527-8468
www.holahoy.com
Joliet Herald News
300 Caterpillar Drive
Joliet, IL 60436
Ph: 815-729-6161
Fax: 815-729-6059
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews
Kane County Chronicle
1000 Randall Rd.
Geneva, IL 60134
Ph: 630-232-4962
Fax: 630-232-4976
www.kcchronicle.com
editorial@kcchronicle.com
Naperville Sun
P.O. Box 269 / 1500 W. Ogden St.
Naperville, IL 60566
Ph: 630-355-8010
Fax: 630-416-5163
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/naper
thesun@suburbanchicagonews.com
News Sun
2383 N. Delany Rd.
Waukegan, IL 60087
Ph: 847-336-7000
Fax: 847-249-7202
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun
Northwest Herald
7717 Route 31
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Ph: 815-459-4040
Fax: 815-459-4960
www.nwherald.com
Alton Telegraph
111 E. Broadway
Alton, IL 62002
Ph: 618-463-2500
Fax: 618-463-2578
www.thetelegraph.com
telegraph@primary.net
Belleville News-Democrat
120 S. Illinois St.
Belleville, IL 62220-2130
Ph: 618-234-1000
Fax: 618-234-9597
www.belleville.com
newsroom@bnd.com
Bloomington Pantagraph
301 W. Washington / P.O. Box 2907
Bloomington, IL 61702-2907
Ph: 309-829-9000
Fax: 309-829-7000
www.pantagraph.com
newsroom@pantagraph.com
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Carbondale Southern Illinoisian
710 N. Illinois Ave.
Carbondale, IL 62902
Ph: 618-529-5454
Fax: 618-457-2935
www.thesouthern.com
news@thesouthern.com
Champaign News-Gazette
15 Main St. / P.O. Box 677
Champaign, IL 61824
Ph: 217-351-5252
Fax: 217-351-5374
www.news-gazette.com
news@news-gazette.com
Charleston Times-Courier
307 Sixth St.
Charleston, IL 61920
Ph: 217-345-7085
Fax: 217-345-7090
www.jg-tc.com
editorial@jg-tc.com
Daily Journal
8 Dearborn Square
Kankakee, IL 60901
Ph: 815-937-3300
Fax: 815-937-3301
www.daily-journal.com
editorial@daily-journal.com
Decatur Herald & Review
601 E. Williams St. / PO Box 311
Decatur, IL 62525
Ph: 217-429-5151
Fax: 217-421-7965
www.herald-review.com
hrnews@webmart.com
Dekalb Daily Chronicle
1586 Baber Greene Rd.
Dekalb, IL 60115
Ph: 815-756-4841
Fax: 815-756-2079
www.dekalb-chronicle.com
Dixon Telegraph
113 S. Peoria Ave.
Dixon, IL 61021-0409
Ph: 815-284-2224
Fax: 815-284-2870
www.saukvalley.com
shawnews@essex1.com
Freeport Journal-Standard
27 S. State Ave.
P.O. Box 330
Freeport, IL 61032
Ph: 815-232-1171
Fax: 815-232-0104
www.journalstandard.com
LaSalle News Tribune
426 Second St.
LaSalle, IL 61310
Ph: 815-223-3200
Fax: 815-224-6443
www.newstrib.com
Mattoon Journal Gazette
100 Broadway Ave.
Mattoon, IL 61938
Ph: 217-235-5656
Fax: 217-238-6886
www.jg-tc.com
editorial@jg-tc.com
Peoria Journal Star
One News Plaza
Peoria, IL 61643
Ph: 309-686-3000
Fax: 309-686-3296
www.pjstar.com
Quad City Times
500 E. 3rd St.
Davenport, IL 52808
Ph: 563-383-2200
Fax: 563-383-2370
www.qctimes.com
newsroom@qctimes.com
Quincy Herald-Whig
130 S. Fifth St.
Quincy, IL 62306-0909
Ph: 217-223-3360
Fax: 217-221-3395
www.whig.com
Rock Island Argus
1724 4th Ave.
Rock Island, IL 61201
Ph: 309-786-6441
Fax: 309-786-7639
www.qconline.com
Rockford Register-Star
99 E. State St.
Rockford, IL 61104
Ph: 815-987-1200
Fax: 815-987-1365
www.rrstar.com
rrsmetro@smtp.registerstartower.com
Springfield State Journal-Register
1 Copley Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
Ph: 217-788-1300
Fax: 217-788-1551
www.sj-r.com
sjr@sj-r.com
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March with the ACLU in the Pride Parade in June 2008. Email