In February of this year, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a measure granting citizens the right to legal civil unions. Now, on June 2, 2011, Quinn will join Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Equality Illinois and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fun to take part in a civil union ceremony that will launch the new law into effect.
As of June 1, Illinois will recognize civil unions between both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. The celebratory ceremony commemorating the new law will be held at Chicago’s Millennium Park at 10 a.m. on June 2. Both Governor Quinn and Mayor Emanuel are expected to speak at the event, and judges will be present to legally unite 30 couples.
While the law pertaining to civil unions does not include language indicating certificate costs, Lambda Legal attorney Christopher Clark told WTSP news that, thus far, no move has been made towards inflated pricing in order to discourage same-sex unions.
According to the new Illinois law, couples who are bound by a legal civil union will have the same state rights as married couples – as well as similar restrictions regarding legal separation and monogamous unions.
However, because the federal government does not recognize such unions, couples engaged in civil unions will not have the option of joint filing on their federal income tax returns.
