No. As of this writing, Illinois law does not allow two people of the same sex to marry. Even if that same-sex couple travels to and marries in a state or country that allows same-sex marriage, their marriage will not be legally recognized in Illinois.
Although the state of Illinois prohibits same-sex marriage, other governmental entities in Illinois allow individuals to register as “domestic partners.” While this doesn’t give the couple any legal rights, it does give them the opportunity to formally recognize their relationship and provides a basis for some employers to provide employment benefits.
Cook County has a Domestic Partnership Registry, which allows same-sex couples who live or work in Chicago or the Cook County suburbs to formally record their relationships. Some Illinois municipalities, inlcuding Urbana and Oak Park, also have domestic partnership registries.
How can same-sex couples protect each other and their families? They have to be proactive. They need to seek legal advice and create effective solutions that will legalize their relationship to the greatest extent possible. Some of the keys to such a plan are: financial powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, partnership agreements, wills and trusts. Some of these I’ve already discussed here. I’ll discuss others in future posts.