This week the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, violated the Constitution.
According to an article in the New York Times, the Supreme Court “went further than the federal government ever has in extending equal rights to same-sex couples. But it left untouched the thicket of conflicting state and local laws that deny gays and lesbians in the vast majority of states the benefits and legal recognition that marriage provides.”
Same sex couples do not receive the same rights at heterosexual couples in Illinois, and this week’s ruling once again puts the issue in the spotlight. Below is a roundup of recent news coverage.
No clear direction on gay marriage in Illinois after court ruling – The News-Gazette
“It’s unclear whether Wednesday’s major victories in the U.S. Supreme Court will bolster the cause of gay marriage in the Illinois House of Representatives.
The Illinois Senate approved legislation on Valentine’s Day that would legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois on a 34-21 roll call. Thirty votes were needed for passage.
But supporters said they could never round up the needed 60 votes to pass the bill (SB 10) in the House. They might still be short, said lawmakers on both sides of the issue.”
Local supporters call Court rulings momentum builders for Illinois – The State Journal-Register
“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act prompted celebrations in Springfield and elsewhere.
Gay and lesbian couples and their supporters gathered Wednesday afternoon outside the Paul Findley Federal Building at Sixth and Monroe streets in the aftermath of what many felt was a game-changing ruling.”
Illinois Gay Marriage: Supreme Court’s DOMA Decision May Push State Pols, Advocates Hope – The Huffington Post
“Though the Supreme Court’s Wednesday move to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional — and to allow legal same-sex marriages in California to resume — will not a direct immediate impact for many gay and lesbian couples in Illinois, advocates there are still hopeful the historic decisions will be a shot in the arm of their own marriage equality push.”