State Rep. Greg Harris and Ald. Deb Mell were among the participants in a panel on marriage equality conducted by Chicago Tribune Editorial Page Editor Bruce Dold Oct. 1. They were joined by Catholic Conference of Illinois Executive Director Robert Gilligan and Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Peter Breen.
Harris was initially asked about the status of the bill and the likelihood of its being called for a vote in the fall. He said the bill was ready to be reconsidered.
"I hope that it can be one of the things that get done because there are …thousands and thousands of Illinois families who are suffering real harm every day because they are not getting the protections and denied the responsibilities that marriage affords," said Harris.
He added that he did not call the bill for a vote back in May because colleagues had asked for more time to speak with constituents. "Since that day the Supreme Court has ruled and the landscape has changed. The Supreme Court of the United States has now ruled that there is no legitimate reason under law to treat one family differently than another family, and I think a lot of my colleagues have taken in that message and they understand the climate of our state."
But Harris refused to say how many votes were currently lined up. "I hate to prognosticate because, whatever number I say, I'll probably be a little bit off."
The coalition of organizations working towards same-sex marriage equality, Illinois Unites for Marriage, initially has 71 votes in the House as its goal. A Windy City Times survey of legislators, however, showed that no new legislators had yet agreed to vote for the legislation.
Mell admitted that the government "is still trying to sort out" what protections an Illinois couple has if they've been married out of state. She said that a civil union in Illinois was not sufficient for her and her partner, Christin Baker, because their relationship "took the normal path that relationships take."
"There becomes a time in a relationship where 'partner' is not enough, 'girlfriend' is not enough and 'civil union' is not enough," she added. "This is recognized throughout the world—marriage is the highest level you can give two people who love each other. I love my wife and she loves me."
Breen, whose organization is representing five downstate counties in order to uphold the state's ban on same-sex marriages, maintained that fighting the marriage lawsuit is a matter of "public policy and a matter of law." The issue, he added, came down to a clash of world views.
Gilligan was then asked about the faith perspective on the gay marriage issue. "There's a lot of faiths out there that have perspectives on this issue. …By nature men and women have a gender and they come together in a marriage for the purpose of raising children. I have no doubt that Alderman Mell loves her partner—"
"My wife," Mell corrected.
Gilligan further said that the love and nature of the relationship was not the important issue, suggesting that what the Church was concerned with was how effectively a couple in a redefined marriage could transmit strong values and faith on to children.
But Harris reminded the audience that Illinoisans must be mindful of the myriad churches that want to see marriage equality come to pass. "We need to be respectful of the different faiths that are practiced in our state," he said. "There are many churches that wish to perform these marriages."
Gilligan said that law often acts as a blunt instrument, and significant changes could have unintended and far-reaching consequences. School instruction might be disrupted, he suggested, if new definitions of marriage and family had be integrated into school curriculums.
"The law is a very fine instrument," Harris countered. "There is nothing about what may be taught in schools in this bill."
The panel was finally asked, what they thought this time and debate might look like 25 years from now.
Gilligan said, "I just hope that we as a society realize the damage that we as a society are inflicting upon our children. Far too many children are born out of wedlock. Far too many children are raised in poverty. …To strengthen and to promote marriage, and to recognize no amount of love can make a mother and a father, and a father and a mother. Hopefully in 25 years we'll have strong, vibrant marriages, and we'll have a second generation that will be even that much stronger."
"I think that it is going to be a shameful period in our history," Mell said. "We are going to regret what we have done to our gay and lesbian families in this country. I'm really heartened by the Supreme Court decisions and the states, and the District of Columbia, that now have it on the books. But I think as a society we will move forward, and value all relationships."
Breen said that society would look back and realize that, within the last 50 years, "We've made a mess of marriage. …This debate is forcing us as a people to start re-evaluating whether we should have marriage in the first place. I see a people 25 years from now who will have learned that lesson."
Harris added that to make that prediction, one only needed to look to the people of today, especially young people.
"Well over 70 percent support marriage equality" Harris said. "So 25 years from now, I think that this will be a given in society, that all families should be treated equally. They're going to look back and say…'what were they thinking back then?'"
Photo caption. From left: Chicago Tribune editorial page editor Bruce Dold; Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois; Chicago Ald. Deborah Mell (33rd); Peter Breen, vice president and senior counsel for the Thomas More Society; and State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), lead sponsor of The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act. Photo by Tracy Baim
Video Chicago Forward: Marriage equality discussion panel
