Illinois Attorney General Lisa
Madigan's office on Friday filed a notice saying it will support two
legal challenges to the state's gay marriage ban.
According to The
Chicago Tribune, the notice, filed in Cook County Circuit
Court, said Madigan's office will “present the court with arguments
that explain why the challenged statutory provisions do not satisfy
the guarantee of equality under the Illinois Constitution.”
The ACLU of Illinois and Lambda Legal
are representing more than two dozen gay and lesbian couples who wish
to marry in Illinois but are unable because state law defines
marriage as a heterosexual union.
The suits, filed on Wednesday, come one
year after Illinois legalized civil unions for gay couples and two
weeks after President Barack Obama, a former Illinois senator,
endorsed gay marriage.
The suits claim that Cook County Clerk
David Orr's refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples
violates their rights to due process and equal protection under the
Illinois Constitution.
Orr has said he supports gay marriage.