Chicago Free Press Editorial: Lobby Day

Chicago Free Press Editorial: Lobby Day
Copyright by The Chicago Free Press
April 2q1, 2009
http://www.chicagofreepress.com/node/3411

Though marriage equality is in the cards for two more states now, an equally interesting phenomenon is how relatively unmoved most Americans were by recent events. The court decision in Iowa and legislative victory in Vermont certainly were met with protests, but on a smaller scale than what we have been used to when the subject of gay marriage has come up.

As the New York Times pointed out this past week, the most significant stirring by the marriage victories was in the ludicrous “Gathering Storm” commercial that appeared online. That was notable in that the only thing gathering was the storm of online parodies now flooding Youtube.

As the nation reels from the tailspinning economy, it seems like most Americans are more concerned about paying their bills and keeping food on the table than they are about legislating their neighbors’ relationship status.

So there is probably no better time for this state to be considering a civil unions bill. Energy on the Right is severely depleted, and experiences from four states will demonstrate to politicians that they have very little to lose by putting the institution into place.

Wednesday, April 29, will be the Lobby Day on behalf of the civil unions bill proposed by state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago). Numerous Illinoisans will journey to the Statehouse in Springfield and let their legislators know why they need to pass this legislation. You should consider joining them, even if you know your legislator supports the measure.

Consider what other regions of Illinois you have roots in. Were you born Downstate? Do you have relatives in a collar county? Do you work in a suburb? You should think about speaking with legislators from those areas instead. Very often politicians are so removed from GLBTs that they have no idea gay men and women have stakes in their communities.

In this age of electronic communication, it’s a lot easier to make our opinions known via email and online polls. So politicians put tremendous weight on a constituent who sacrifices their time, energy and money to make the trip to Springfield. They’ll remember you were there, and they’ll consider that many other people must feel the same way you do.

Most of the legislators down in Springfield know that civil unions and gay marriage are on their way to Illinois. Whether that happens sooner rather than later, however, depends on whether they have the courage to act now. Your being in Springfield Wednesday lets them know that their constituents are ready and waiting.

To find out more about Lobby Day, visit Equality Illinois at eqil.org.