Civil Unions a Step in the Right Direction

By Jeff Adolph

Gay Legislation

If all goes as planned and the bill that is currently being voted upon within Illinois government is passed gay couples in the state will be allowed to form civil unions with their partners and be recognized as having the same legal rights as their heterosexual counterparts

In fact, Illinois would become only the fifth state in America to do so and this would mean gay couples would have the same rights to real estate, child custody and adoption, as well as asset ownership that other unions currently enjoy.

At present, the states that offer civil unions are Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey with California having domestic partnerships, a variation of the civil unions legislation.

As Rep. Greg Harris said of the bill, 'Illinois is ready for civil unions. The outpouring of public support shows it's ready for civil unions, and I hope one day it will come around to the concept of same-sex marriage.'

At present the only American state to legally recognize gay marriage is Massachusetts.

However, some see little difference between the two and still oppose both same-sex civil unions and marriage.

Rep. Paul Froehlich felt that a civil union 'did change the definition of marriage', as he said, 'if it can be defined to mean anything, then it may mean nothing.' His greatest fear is the civil union between two consenting adults may be changed in a bill to include three or more individuals in a union and this then presents an undermining of marriage, as such.

However, for people like Lee Korty, and his partner of 25 years this concept is absurd. All he and his partner would like is to have the same benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy, without having to negotiate legal loopholes, and he feels that this change to legislation is monumental as the pair has battled issues that any heterosexual couple would not even encounter. As Korty said, 'I find it hard to stand up here and have people tell me how giving my partner the same benefits that they would give their husband's or wife's is somehow detracting from their marriage.'

Lambda Legal, a legal support group for the LGBT community stated that this current vote 'was a step toward the goal of legalized gay marriage.'

Something many of us can only dream of...

Source: O'Connor, J (2007) Illinois Bill would Allow Civil Unions of Gay Couples; available online http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-ap-il-xgr-civilunions,1,467204.Story?coll=chi-news-hed

Images: http://www.vermontwoman.com and http://www.arlingtoninn.com

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By Jeff Adolph

Gay Legislation

If all goes as planned and the bill that is currently being voted upon within Illinois government is passed gay couples in the state will be allowed to form civil unions with their partners and be recognized as having the same legal rights as their heterosexual counterparts

In fact, Illinois would become only the fifth state in America to do so and this would mean gay couples would have the same rights to real estate, child custody and adoption, as well as asset ownership that other unions currently enjoy.

At present, the states that offer civil unions are Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey with California having domestic partnerships, a variation of the civil unions legislation.

As Rep. Greg Harris said of the bill, 'Illinois is ready for civil unions. The outpouring of public support shows it's ready for civil unions, and I hope one day it will come around to the concept of same-sex marriage.'

At present the only American state to legally recognize gay marriage is Massachusetts.

However, some see little difference between the two and still oppose both same-sex civil unions and marriage.

Rep. Paul Froehlich felt that a civil union 'did change the definition of marriage', as he said, 'if it can be defined to mean anything, then it may mean nothing.' His greatest fear is the civil union between two consenting adults may be changed in a bill to include three or more individuals in a union and this then presents an undermining of marriage, as such.

However, for people like Lee Korty, and his partner of 25 years this concept is absurd. All he and his partner would like is to have the same benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy, without having to negotiate legal loopholes, and he feels that this change to legislation is monumental as the pair has battled issues that any heterosexual couple would not even encounter. As Korty said, 'I find it hard to stand up here and have people tell me how giving my partner the same benefits that they would give their husband's or wife's is somehow detracting from their marriage.'

Lambda Legal, a legal support group for the LGBT community stated that this current vote 'was a step toward the goal of legalized gay marriage.'

Something many of us can only dream of...

Source: O'Connor, J (2007) Illinois Bill would Allow Civil Unions of Gay Couples; available online http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-ap-il-xgr-civilunions,1,467204.Story?coll=chi-news-hed

Images: http://www.vermontwoman.com and http://www.arlingtoninn.com

---------------------------------------------------------

*RealQuestions RealAnswers*

Click on Comments below and share your thoughts and opinions, ask a real estate question or offer story suggestions...

-----------------------------------------------------------------

© 2006+ Jeff Adolph GayRealEstate USA

Proudly Sponsored By:

By Jeff Adolph

Gay Legislation

If all goes as planned and the bill that is currently being voted upon within Illinois government is passed gay couples in the state will be allowed to form civil unions with their partners and be recognized as having the same legal rights as their heterosexual counterparts

In fact, Illinois would become only the fifth state in America to do so and this would mean gay couples would have the same rights to real estate, child custody and adoption, as well as asset ownership that other unions currently enjoy.

At present, the states that offer civil unions are Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey with California having domestic partnerships, a variation of the civil unions legislation.

As Rep. Greg Harris said of the bill, 'Illinois is ready for civil unions. The outpouring of public support shows it's ready for civil unions, and I hope one day it will come around to the concept of same-sex marriage.'

At present the only American state to legally recognize gay marriage is Massachusetts.

However, some see little difference between the two and still oppose both same-sex civil unions and marriage.

Rep. Paul Froehlich felt that a civil union 'did change the definition of marriage', as he said, 'if it can be defined to mean anything, then it may mean nothing.' His greatest fear is the civil union between two consenting adults may be changed in a bill to include three or more individuals in a union and this then presents an undermining of marriage, as such.

However, for people like Lee Korty, and his partner of 25 years this concept is absurd. All he and his partner would like is to have the same benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy, without having to negotiate legal loopholes, and he feels that this change to legislation is monumental as the pair has battled issues that any heterosexual couple would not even encounter. As Korty said, 'I find it hard to stand up here and have people tell me how giving my partner the same benefits that they would give their husband's or wife's is somehow detracting from their marriage.'

Lambda Legal, a legal support group for the LGBT community stated that this current vote 'was a step toward the goal of legalized gay marriage.'

Something many of us can only dream of...

Images: http://www.vermontwoman.com and http://www.arlingtoninn.com

---------------------------------------------------------

*RealQuestions RealAnswers*

Click on Comments below and share your thoughts and opinions, ask a real estate question or offer story suggestions...

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© 2006+ Jeff Adolph GayRealEstate USA

Proudly Sponsored By: