Two hundred and fifty marriage licenses were issued to same sex couples in the week immediately following the ACLU of Illinois and Lambda’s successful federal court petition which led to Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman’s ruling granting marriage equality in Cook County. Marriage licenses application numbers, released by Cook County Clerk David Orr, for the week of February 21 through the 28, show the divergence of professional backgrounds of the applicants as well as a breakdown by gender and residency. More than half of the same sex applicants granted licenses live in Chicago or in one of 55 suburban communities. A dozen couples live in other states including Kentucky, South Carolina and Texas.
"The first day we were able to issues marriage licenses to any same-sex couple in Illinois was extraordinary and historic," said Cook County Clerk David Orr in the release. "Before long, it will be a regular occurrence in every county in Illinois. That is equality."
