Civil Unions: They Play in Peoria

Posted: 2/29/08 at 7:34pm

PEORIA - State Sen. David Koehler is proposing legislation that would legalize civil unions in Illinois and entitle unmarried couples - including those of the same sex - to the same protections and benefits currently afforded to traditional married couples.
"This is going to be controversial because people are going to try to get all other kinds of issues about the morality of being gay," said Koehler, D-Peoria, of the proposed Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act. "I hope that can stay to the sideline, because that's not the full intent of this bill. This bill is merely to recognize there are long-term committed relationships that right now do not have the law behind them."

Peoria Journal-Star

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 9:31pm

I guess I don't understand why straight people need benefits as unmarried couples when they can reap all the benefits of marriage by getting married.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:26pm

Maybe they don't like the institution of marriage.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:29pm

if i were you folks, i'd refuse to accept anything less than a federal law mandating that all churches regardless of denomination perform weddings for anyone who wants one regardless of gender.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:36pm

Mambo were you joking about the federal law forcing churches to perform all weddings? Even for people who aren't members of their congregations?

Wouldn't a better solution just be to have a federal Freedom to Have a Civil Marriage To Anyone law?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:39pm

no george. we must take control of the churches. only then can we make the fundamental changes necessary to the american soul.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:41pm

ah ok gotcha.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:41pm

ah ok gotcha.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:49pm

From george's BWW profile:

"***please note---I won't discuss religion on these boards!***"

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 10:54pm

: )

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:02pm

"Hello there,
I'm an English/Religion/French teacher at a Catholic h.s. in the New York City area. I live in Hoboken (across the Hudson from the Village), and I'm originally from the Chicago area. I grew up going to see shows in Chicago with my family, and now Broadway is one of my favorite reason to love living in New York City!
***please note---I won't discuss religion on these boards!***"

Sorry for the wake up call, my dear, but you live in New Jersey.

Hoboken is not in New York City. It is in New Jersey. A completely different state.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:03pm

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:07pm

Anytime, doll.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:17pm

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:21pm

Isn't this thread about Gay Marriage?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:27pm

I find that the people who accuse others of "lying" are actually the ones who can't be trusted.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:31pm

good point.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:39pm

If people don't like the institution of marriage, then great. Let's mobilize to destroy civil marriage. That's been my dream all along.

Papa, I don't know any gays who care whether or not churches perform gay marriages. Hell, there are some churches that do.

The problem with trying to make some sort of unmarried couples union thing, whether gay or straight, misses the point that without the benefits afforded marriage, gay people still won't be able to be guaranteed they will be able to marry someone from another country, or have all fifty states recognize their union, or receive the tax breaks afforded married couples, or the rights of visitation when one is hospitalized, or be guaranteed they won't lose anything should their "partner" die because dead said partners family are a bigoted lot who'll swoop in a take everything. That happened to my friend Larry. It was disgusting.

[george95]

Posted: 2/29/08 at 11:46pm

Phyllis there was an article about this problem in the NY Times a few days ago---about how the civil unions in NJ aren't equal to marriage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/13/nyregion/13civil.html?_r=1&oref=slogin