The Illinois state legislature has until tomorrow to vote on the marriage equality bill, but they’ve gotten a big nudge from an alumnus President Obama. At a fundraiser in Chicago yesterday, Obama told the audience that he wants to see the measure pass.
“Here in Illinois, we’ve got a vote on same-sex marriage that’s going to be coming up in the Legislature,” Obama said. “ I just want to say for the record it’s something that I deeply support. I wrestled with this for a long time and I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do. And we have to make sure that wherever we go, we are reminding people that the essence of America is that everybody is treated equally under the law without exception.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the bill are trying to nail down the last few votes. The bill needs 60 to pass, and vote counters say that they are close to that goal. but not quite there. A lot of pressure is being placed on black legislators, most of whom have not made their views on the bill known. Unlike Minnesota and Delaware, where the final votes were a done deal before it happened, Illinois looks like it will be a squeaker.
erasure25
Hopefully Obama can sway his home state. The pundits will have a field day if he cannot… Kinda like Al Gore losing his home state… Imagine how that would have changed history al la Vulcan in JJ Abrams Star Trek vision.
1EqualityUSA
Thanks, President Obama. Your support for equality is appreciated.
whatisthis
Living in IL my whole life, I just have a gut feeling this isn’t going to pass. However, I would be ecstatic if I’m proven wrong. Hopefully the President will have enough of an impact to allow full equality here.
Cross my fingers.
1EqualityUSA
Our rights should not be put up for a vote. This is so incomprehensible.
twoguysbrooklyn
Wouldn’t it just piss you off if a few black legislators vote no on an equal rights issue?
northwest
Happy to see another sign of LGBT support by President Obama.
Harley
@twoguysbrooklyn: once again proving hypocrisy exists with the repugnant-klans.
fredo777
@northwest: It seems to me that he sees this as an opportunity for him. I think with all of the gridlock in Congress preventing him from getting so much of his agenda accomplished, he wants his legacy to reflect his support for jumping over that “last civil rights/equality hurdle”, so to speak. Case in point: when he ended that presser at the White House, but stopped in his tracks to answer one last question tossed out about Jason Collins’ coming out.
OrchidIslander
@twoguysbrooklyn: No more than if a few white legislators vote no on an equal rights issue, because they have. In droves. It’s pretty obvious, but apparently you need reminding – the POTUS, you know, the black one? He’s all for the equality measure. Sheesh!
comus
@OrchidIslander: Obama’s been great, but don’t kid yourself that the spectacle of African-American Democrats voting against civil rights legislation isn’t ironic. It is. And marriage equality is a plank in the Democratic Party Platform.