The crowds who thought they’d come to Springfield to witness a historic moment were bitterly disappointed Friday when Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, rose to acknowledge that he did not have the votes to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Illinois.
Waving off shouted demands that he call a vote anyway, Harris promised to keep working to secure the support of a handful of reluctant colleagues in time for the fall veto session.
“I apologize to the families who were hoping to wake up tomorrow as full and equal citizens of this state,” he said.
We share their frustration. For months, Illinois has been thisclose to joining the growing list of states that allow gays to marry. But missing that Friday deadline was a real setback. Rounding up the 60 votes needed to pass the bill gets harder by the day now. The next best chance could be after the 2014 primary.
So this would be a good time to remind ourselves that Illinois has allowed same-sex partners to enter into civil unions for only 21/2 years. It took three years to round up the votes for that bill. Before that, it took three decades to pass the 2005 law that barred discrimination against gays in hiring and housing.
Same-sex marriage has hit a speed bump, not a wall. Polls consistently show more than half of Americans support allowing gays to wed, up from one in three a decade ago. That trend isn’t going to reverse itself: 70 percent of those under age 30 support gay marriage.
In a letter to supporters on Monday, Harris and other bill sponsors counseled patience. “Let’s not forget something very important: Marriage equality is going to happen.”
Public acceptance of gay marriage is growing largely because same-sex partnerships are thriving all around us. Rep. Deb Mell, D-Chicago, made that point to her House colleagues on Friday, just after Harris put the brakes on the bill. Mell and her partner, Christin Baker, were married in 2011. They had to go to Iowa to do it.
“On Sunday mornings, you’ll find us in church,” Mell said. “We give to charity, we pay our bills, we pay our taxes. … At the end of the day, Christin and I want what you want.” It’s hard to argue with that.
Partners in a civil union have the same spousal rights, under state law, as married heterosexuals. But they don’t qualify for many of the same federal benefits, tax exemptions and legal protections. That’s unequal treatment.
Many religions have moral objections to gay marriage. Out of respect for those concerns, the Illinois bill explicitly states that ministers and churches would not be required to solemnize gay marriages, just as some refuse to marry mixed-faith couples or divorcees. It also contains wording to assure that they won’t be penalized for refusing to hold same-sex ceremonies in their facilities.
For some lawmakers, though, it’s still a tough call. Harris was wise to grant his colleagues’ request to delay a vote — instead of calling them out, as some advocates wanted. The votes weren’t there. Give them time.