Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Chicago
Mayor Rahm Emanuel were among the leaders honored Sunday for their
work on a gay marriage law.
Illinois' Religious Freedom and
Marriage Fairness Act took effect on June 1, nearly 7 months
after passage.
(Related: Illinois
gay marriage law takes effect Sunday.)
At its Tribute Brunch, Equality
Illinois, the state's largest LGBT rights advocate, also honored Lt.
Governor Sheila Simon, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, Rep. Greg
Harris and Senator Heather Steans, in addition to Quinn and Emanuel.
Steans and Harris, who is openly gay, introduced the marriage
measure in their respective chambers.
“It is finally true in Illinois,
there is no longer straight marriage or gay marriage. There is only
marriage in the eyes of the law,” Emanuel told the crowd of roughly
220 people who had gathered in the JW Marriott's Burnham Ballroom in
downtown Chicago.
“If I wasn't there to sign the bill …
we wouldn't be here today,” Quinn said, a possible dig at his
Republican rival Bruce Rauner, who has suggested he would back repeal
of the marriage law. “That is a lesson to all of us that getting
involved in election campaigns and politics and democracy is
indispensable.”