US: Military veterans push for equal marriage in Illinois

Oct 02 2013
Written by Joseph McCormick

Military veterans in the US state of Illinois have joined up with efforts to legalise equal marriage in the state.

A group named Veterans United for Marriage, is pushing the Illinois House to allow equal marriage in the legislative session which begins later in October.

The Illinois Senate passed a bill to remove the ban in February, but the bill’s sponsor in the House did not call it for a vote, as he said it did not have enough votes to pass.

In August, opponents of equal marriage in the US state of Illinois celebrated the fact that the bill to legalise same-sex unions never went to a vote.

The bill’s sponsor Greg Harris wept as he announced that, due to a lack of support, the bill would not be voted on. Mr Harris said he planned to lobby for the bill before the next legislative session in the autumn.

A judge in Cook County, Illinois, last week ruled that a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on equal marriage could proceed.

Judge Sophia Hall partially denied a defence motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that it could go ahead on two of the five counts filed.