[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-to-allow-civil-unions\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-to-allow-civil-unions\/","headline":"Illinois to Allow Civil Unions","name":"Illinois to Allow Civil Unions","description":"By Katherine Dean The Illinois Senate voted 32-24 today to approve Senate Bill 1716, which will allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, according...","datePublished":"2010-12-01","dateModified":"2021-06-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-to-allow-civil-unions\/","about":["Marriage Equality News"],"wordCount":179,"articleBody":" By Katherine Dean   The Illinois Senate voted 32-24 today to approve Senate Bill 1716, which will allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, according to the Chicago Tribune. While civil unions still do not afford gay couples full marriage equality, the historic vote is a step in the right direction and will afford same-sex couples many of the same state-level marriage rights as heterosexuals.  The Senate\u2019s action came quickly on the heels of approval in the Illinois House yesterday by a vote of 61-52.    In debating the merits of passing the bill yesterday, openly gay Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, who sponsored the bill, said, \u201cWe have a chance here, as leaders have had in previous generations, to correct injustice and to move us down the path toward liberty. It\u2019s a matter of fairness, it\u2019s a matter of respect, it\u2019s a matter of equality.\u201d The Bill now moves to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who is expected to sign it after campaigning on a pledge to support equal marital rights for same-sex couples."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Illinois to Allow Civil Unions","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/illinois-to-allow-civil-unions\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]