As we work our way through the final week of the legislative session in Springfield, we continue to wait for a vote on Senate Bill 10, which would approve the freedom to marry in Illinois. WBEZ reporter Tony Arnold spotlighted two different ways supporters of the act are choosing to spend these last few days as the legislative session comes to a close.
Bar manager Chuck Hyde is preparing for a celebration he hopes will come. Hyde told Arnold he has been preparing for this moment for months. He said, “There were a number of weeks back that we thought it might be very close and we were kind of waiting by the phone. Literally, the vote’s going up, the vote’s not going up. And if it was going to happen, we were ready. We had ordered champagne, we had glassware ready. We were ready for the balloons. We had posters. We had all kinds of things. We had some signs and we were going to let the world know that we were thrilled and throwing a party. And ready to celebrate.”
Others are not so patient, wanting to celebrate their love even though it is not recognized by the Illinois government just yet. Amanda Marquez and Maggie Moran are two such individuals. According to the article, they plan to have a civil union ceremony on June 22. Marques told Arnold, “Not knowing exactly when, you know, how things will go in Springfield, when it will happen, we just moved forward.”
The ACLU of Illinois has worked tirelessly to get this bill through and with the vote just days away we will continue to push for the freedom to marry for all Americans. It is never too late to show support for the freedoms and liberties of all individuals.
