Fifty-four LGBT couples gathered on the steps leading up to the Chicago History Museum Friday June 3 to be a part of the newest milestone in Illinois' history by joining together in civil unions.
The event, a fundraiser for The Civil Rights Agenda ( TCRA ) , was called "Unite with Pride," and that sentiment was present in all of the couples and guests.
"I was blown away," said attendee and longtime activist Rick Garcia. He emailed Windy City Times after going to a few other civil-union ceremonies he thought he was "all cried out." However, he added, "I hadn't even started."
Also please see related story: A more perfect union: Chicago hosts ceremony for same-sex couples, June 2, 2011, www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=32084
Judge Mary Trew of the Ninth Judicial Subcircuit, herself a member of the LGBT community, officiated the ceremony. She said civil unions were "our state's way of recognizing that two people, regardless of gender, can come together."
After a performance from the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus and opening words from Trew, leaders from different faithsincluding Evangelical Catholic, Baptist and Unitarianoffered their blessings.
"The church was present in grand style," Garcia stated.
All of the couples then joined hands and faced each other to exchange vows and rings. After the ceremony each couple walked down the aisle to the applause of their friends and families.
Guests enjoyed hor doevres and drinks and were able to tour the museum's "Out in Chicago" exhibit ( complete with the first issue of The Windy City Times ) . The judge and religious leaders signed the new civil union licenses in the foyer, where portraits of the happy couples were also taken. A DJ got the crowd dancing after a champagne toast.
In the program, the Civil Rights Agenda, who's been fighting in Springfield to pass the Civil Union Act, said the event celebrated "a great advance in our civil rights in Illinois." Unite With Pride was a perfect way to recognize the long-awaited and historic occasion. Photos by Kat Fitzgerald ( MysticImagesPhotography.com )