The Chicago Tribune reports that passage of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which does not go into effect until next June, could have been a case of equality delayed for Vernita Gray, who is battling terminal cancer and whose life expectancy may mean she will die before being able to marry her partner Patricia Ewert.

That very real possibility, led Gray and Ewert to court. They argued that they should be allowed to marry immediately and U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin agreed. John Knight, director of the LGBT Project of the ACLU in Illinois, applauded the ruling:

"We're very happy for this ruling for this couple," said John Knight, director of the LGBT Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. "We understand that this is an incredibly important right for all same-sex couples. If it had not been granted, it would … likely have been unavailable to them. Ms. Gray is simply too ill to wait until June to marry."

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The State Journal-Register has a story about upcoming free speech activity in the capitol building in Springfield. A series of displays from various religious, non-religious and advocacy groups will be exhibited in the rotunda and will last through the holiday season. The Register spoke with ACLU of Illinois Springfield chapter president Donald Hanrahan about the plans for an ACLU display in the building:

The Springfield chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will have a tabletop display on the First Amendment in the rotunda from Dec. 9-27.
Don Hanrahan, a Springfield lawyer and chapter president, said the display will provide “a history of free speech and the separation of church and state” that helps explain why various ideas are able to be expressed in public spaces such as the rotunda.
“We believe that the Constitution has to allow religious groups to have the same rights that secular groups have,” Hanrahan added. “And that includes non-religious or even anti-religious organizations. That’s our position and that’s why we put the display up, so that people can learn the history of this.”

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