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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Legislatures across the nation, including here in Illinois, are considering proposals to address the practice of "revenge porn," where a former partner uploads intimate photos to a website designed to host such images and video.  While the ACLU abhors this practice, we are concerned that some language in these laws go too far.   In particular, free  speech concerns over language in an anti-revenge porn  Illinois State Senate bill remain after the legislation moved out of committee and onto the Senate floor for consideration. State Senator Michael Hastings, the bill’s sponsor, and personal-story testimony presented at committee hearings, advocated for passage of the bill as a means to prevent abusive cyber bullying of an ex-partner in a sexual situation. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Hastings deflected suggested language modifications to the bill raised by Mary Dixon, ACLU of Illinois' Legislative Director.  Dixon expressed concerns that:

...the wording of the bill might not stand up to the protection of free speech guaranteed in the First Amendment. Dixon said laws could regulate free speech, but they must be “carefully and narrowly tailored,” something she said Hastings’ bill could work on by including language on malicious intent and emotional harm.

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