Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday
promised to become “very involved” in the passage of a gay
marriage bill in Illinois.
The mayor listed the issue as third
behind pension reform and a Chicago casino on his list of priorities
for the General Assembly to work on during the upcoming legislative
session.
“I will continue to advocate, as I
have since a congressman, that we also pass marriage equality and end
the discrimination on the books,” Emanuel told reporters.
The mayor strongly backed legislation
creating civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
“The time for marriage equality is
now,” he added. “The time is right and the time is here.”
In February, Illinois state Rep. Greg
Harris, along with two other openly gay representatives, Deb Mell and
Kelly Cassidy, introduced a bill legalizing marriage for gay couples.
“I've been in touch with … state
Rep. Greg Harris, state Rep. Deb Mell and leaders in both chambers,
so Illinois will now take the next step in making sure that our
values are reflected in our laws,” he said.