A Cook County, Illinois judge is expected to rule Friday on
whether a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on gay marriage can
proceed.
Circuit Judge Sophia Hall heard oral argument in the case on
August 6.
The case involves 25 gay and lesbian couples who requested
marriage licenses in Cook County, which includes Chicago, but were
denied.
Illinois currently recognizes gay couples with civil unions. A
marriage bill stalled in the House after passage in the Senate on
Valentine's Day. Activists are lobbying for a final House vote
during the upcoming fall session, but the bill's champion in the
House, Rep. Greg Harris, has signaled that he's considering tabling
the bill until next year.
(Related: Illinois
gay marriage bill might not see House vote this year.)
Plaintiffs in the case are represented by Lambda Legal and the
Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), whose
lawyers asked Judge Hall for summary judgment in the case soon after
the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
(Related: Illinois
gay marriage opponents argue gay couples should marry elsewhere.)
The socially conservative Thomas More Society intervened to defend
the state's marriage laws after state officials refused to do so.