The Chicago Tribune reports Cook County Clerk David Orr may immediately begin to issue marriage licenses to same-sex partners combating life-threatening diseases. Couples who present the clerk’s office with physician-certified verification of their illness will not have to wait for the new marriage equality law to go into effect on June 1 of next year. The judge’s order came in response to a class action suit brought by a coalition of attorneys that included the ACLU. The Tribune writes:

"The freedom to marry is important for all same-sex couples but becomes extremely important for couples facing serious health conditions," said John Knight, LGBT and HIV Project director for the ACLU of Illinois. "For them, the personal and emotional benefits of marriage, as well as the legal protections it provides, are critical."

Read the entire article.