While battling for equality inside the chamber walls of the Illinois Legislature, state representative Kelly Cassidy now has a reason to make it personal.
On Tuesday night, the eve of the reintroduction of the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, her partner, Kelley Quinn, got done on one knee outside the state Capitol and asked Cassidy to be her wife.
“I was completely gobsmacked,” Cassidy tells The Advocate. “I really didn’t expect it at all. I cried like a baby and said yes.”
The political powerhouse couple met while Quinn was managing Sen. Heather Steans’s campaign several years ago, and after running into each other again after projects kept them from moving forward—“we literally ran into each other on the L platform downtown and reconnected,” exclaims Cassidy—a relationship bloomed.
The vibe in Illinois is extremely positive and officials have made it clear that they fully expect Illinois to be celebrating marriage equality by the end of the year. “I’m excited to have this opportunity to be a part of such a history-making effort and to be able to share that with my kids so that they know that it is possible to make a difference,” says Cassidy. “That, and to be able to celebrate the win by marrying such an amazing woman!”
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Photo: advocate.com
