"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

Thursday, June 02, 2011

It Started Yesterday (Updated)

Yesterday, civil unions took effect in Illinois. It's Step 1, and no one is pretending otherwise. How long it's going to take for full marriage is a guess, but I'd say within a couple of years. Here's an outline from Jill M.Metz of the ACLU on what civil unions do and don't do. And from the Chicago Tribune, some stories:

In Cook County, Janean Watkins and Lakeesha Harris camped overnight outside the Daley Center to be the first in line as the state's new civil-unions law kicked in.

"It's historic," said Watkins, who has been with Harris for 10 years. "We wanted to be first. We wanted to make a statement. For us, for our kids. It really means something."

The couple has six children who will all be in attendance at a formal civil union ceremony tomorrow.

Watkins and Harris were followed by more than 100 other couples who arrived early to get licenses.



The ceremonies start today.

Update: I just checked the print editions of both Chicago dailies -- both have front-page stories, very straightforward and very positive coverage with a strong focus on actual couples. Think back ten years and what the reaction would have been in the local press -- if there had been a reaction at all.

Maggie? You're losing.

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