Same-sex couples may now obtain a marriage license from the Cook County Clerk, as a result of a federal court ruling today. The ACLU of Illinois and Lambda legal brought the case before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman to challenge Illinois' current ban on the freedom to marry, so that couples would not have to wait any longer. While the ruling only applies to the Cook County Clerk, the ACLU of Illinois believes the ruling should apply to all of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune spoke with ACLU of Illinois LGBT Project Director John Knight:

“We’re thrilled that Judge Coleman recognized the serious harm to the many Illinois families from continuing to deny them the freedom to marry,” said John Knight, LGBT and HIV Project Director for the ACLU of Illinois. “The U.S. Constitution guarantees these families the personal and emotional benefits as well as the critical legal protections of marriage now, and we are thankful that the court extended this dignity to couples immediately.”

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