Illinois is for lovers...gay as well as straight

Every once in awhile a good thing happens in the body politic. One of those occasional events happened today when the Illinois House, by a slim 61 to 54 margin, voted to make Illinois the 15th state to legalize gay marriage. A couple of procedural matters remain; Senate reconciliation of the House vote with their Valentine's Day vote to legalize gay marriage, and Governor Quinn's momentous bill signing which will give Illinois' approximately half million gays full citizenship that the other twelve and a half million already enjoy.  The wheels of progress may turn slowly but with relentless effort by many dedicated, decent, caring people, the long overdue cleansing of the discriminatory stain of homophobia regarding marriage has been achieved in Illinois. And in Oakridge Cemetery, the remains of Honest Abe, champion of ALL the people during his brief but meteoric public career, can rest a little easier. He'd have preferred Illinois be No. 1 in granting full citizenship to all its citizens. Number 15 will do.

Also published in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times, November 7, 2013