On April 21, on its third reading, the Illinois Senate passed (by a bipartisan vote of 44-13) a proposal that amends the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to allow the removal of gendered language from state marriage certificates.
According to the Illinois General Assembly website, the amendment "provides that upon completion of an affidavit provided by the county clerk, a person, still currently married, may request a certificate of the person's current marriage free of any gender identifying language." It also "provides that when a clerk issues a non-gendered marriage certificate, the certificate shall not include any language indicating it has been amended nor that it is not a true and accurate record of the facts stated therein."
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz originally filed the proposal with the secretary Feb. 9.
In a press release, Feigenholtz said, "Gendered language on marriage certificates is an outdated requirement. Forcing someone to choose between binary terms like 'bride' and 'groom' may not be relevant for all couples. This new practice will reflect the full flexibility of marriage under the law."
The measure will now be sent to the Illinois House of Representatives.