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Illinois Civil Unions – One Year Later
Separate and still not equal.
It is clear that a lot of heterosexual people do not want gay couples using the word “marriage” – but the reality is, marriage is marriage and comes with 100% full benefits. I do not care what your church believes. The government recognizes are “marriage” as coming with full benefits and rights.
Marriage is a unique legal status conferred by and recognized by
governments all over the world. It brings with it a host of reciprocal
obligations, rights and protections. It is also a cultural
institution. No other word has that power and no other status can
provide that protection.
Married couples have 1,138 federal rights and protections.
ALLEGEDLY, Civil Unions provide legal protection to couples at the state law
level, but omits federal protections, as well as the dignity, clarity,
security and power of the word “marriage”.
Civil unions give
couples the right to make funeral and end-of-life decisions, the right
to share a room in a nursing home, automatic hospital visitation,
adoption and parental rights, pension benefits, inheritance rights, the
right to decide how to dispose of a partner’s remains, and the right not
to testify against each other in court.
But a lot of the biggies are missing; like Social Security benefits upon death, disability or retirement of spouse, as well as benefits for minor children.
And how about Exemptions from penalties on IRA and pension rollovers? and Exemptions from estate taxes when a spouse dies ??
Nearly 5,000 couples have filed for Civil Union status in Illinois.
Civil unions grants SOME rights, but even then, many LGBT couples testify they are not treated with the same respect as a heterosexual married couple.
Equality Illinois did a study and survey that shows the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act did not provide
civil union couples with the same protections as civil marriage, as
promised one year ago.
Separate and Unequal—A Cicil Union is still Second Class Status.
Check out the informative study online.
Sponsored by
EQIL, creating change in Illinois!
