Action Alert HB1826

Right now the Illinois House of Representatives is considering civil union legislation called the Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act (HB1826).

 

Representative Greg Harris’ HB1826, the civil union bill, is slowly but surely gaining support in the Illinois General Assembly even as this session’s deadline moves closer.  We are within striking distance of having the votes to pass this historic and necessary bill. But passage depends on you.

 

Your state representative needs to hear from you, your friends and your family now! Click the ‘Take Action’ button below to send a letter to your representative.  This is very important because legislators take very seriously the letters and the numbers of letters they receive. Tell your state representative that HB1826 is really about fairness, and about treating all Illinois families fairly and equally.

 

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Vote Yes on HB1826 - The Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I write to ask you to support a positive vote on House Bill 1826, the Civil Unions bill.

Many people in the LGBT community face hardships, harms and inequalities simply because their committed relationships are not honored or protected by the state. Some of the harms that same-sex couples face include:

* Exclusion from medical decision making for a partner

* Lack of access to family health insurance

* Denial of pension benefits for a surviving partner

* No right of surviving partner to sue for wrongful death

* Disrespect for the family

* The hardship of having to explain the nature of your relationship rather than having common language and a legal term to describe it.

The Civil Union bill is about fairness and decency. It in no way detracts from traditional marriage; it simply allows those couples in lifetime commitments to receive the dignity, respect, and legal recognition from the State of Illinois that they not only deserve, but they are entitled to. This is your chance to go on the record in support of marriage equality by refusing the rhetoric that suggests that the relationships of committed same-sex couples are unworthy.

I ask you to please vote in support of this important bill.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 16, 2007


Background Information

What the Civil Union Bill Provides:

Medical decision-making & hospital visitation for partners

Right to control disposition of remains

Inheritance rights

Domestic violence protections

What the Civil Union Bill Does NOT Do:

Does not amend the Illinois Marriage code to recognize same-sex marriage

Does not force religious institutions to solemnize or validate civil unions

Does not provide any of the more than 1,000 federal benefits of marriage to these couples.

 

A Civil Union Bill will not end the work in securing the state’s promise of equality, but it does help reduce the harms done to same-sex couples and their families. Our goal is to ensure that lifetime commitments between all couples are afforded the respect and dignity that they are entitled to.