Vote For Gay Marriage Would Ennoble Rep. Pihos

The proponents of full citizenship for all Illinoisans are still twelve votes short in their campaign to bring this to fruition. Full citizenship means that the roughly half million gay residents of Illinois can legally marry the person of their choice regardless of sex. Anything less is degrading, demeaning and not representative of American and human democratic ideals. Yet, my 48th District representative Sandy Pihos is on record as a NO vote because she claims the "vast majority" of her district opposes gay marriage and she is duty bound to represent this so called "vast majority".

Rep. Pihos can still change her mind and vote YES to gay marriage in Illinois. If she decides to "come out" and publically renounce her intended NO vote, she may actually inspire other representatives in the NO column to change their vote as well, allowing passage of this historic legislation. Voting YES will not add any new citizenship rights and privliges to Rep. Pihos as it won't for the twelve and half million of us Illinoisans not directly affected by gay marriage passage. However, like us, it will ennoble Rep. Pihos and give her something to be proud of for the rest of her legislative career; indeed, for the rest of her life. But if Rep. Pihos follows through with her public intention to vote against legalizing gay marriage, that vote may very well end up on the cutting room floor when she puts together her legislative highlight reel.