The federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, has held Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The court found that the ban “served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationship and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.” And that, the decision states, violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.
Read the full decision here.
Good news for couples in civil unions from the Illinois Department of Revenue. See this article in today’s Chicago Tribune.
Interesting article from the Calgary Herald about Canada’s experience with same-sex marriage.
This article from the Springfield State Journal-Register points out why same-sex couples who enter an Illinois civil union should still execute health-care and financial powers of attorney.
No, Illinois does not allow same-sex marriage, but it does allow civil unions. As of July 1, 2011, civil unions became legal in Illinois. The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act (“Act”) was passed by the Illinois General Assembly on December 1, 2010 and signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn on January…
Good article from Quad-City Online about how civil unions will come 17 years too late for one Illinois man.
New federal regulations require all hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid to allow patients to designate visitors of their choosing. Effective January 18, 2011, these hospitals – virtually very hospital in the United States - may not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of, among other factors, sexual orientation and…
An article in today’s Aurora Beacon-News discusses how county clerks are preparing for the civil union application process. Couples may apply for civil unions beginning June 1, 2011.
County clerks throughout Illinois are getting ready to process civil union applications next year. See this article from the Decatur, Illinois Herald-Review.
Today’s Chicago Tribune has a good article that discusses why opposite sex couples might seek a civil union rather than marriage. For example, senior citizens with survivor’s benefits from Social Security or a pension stand to lose that income if they remarry. A civil union would allow them to keep those benefits while still providing…