Cook County Clerk David Orr announced
on Friday that he issued the 1,000th marriage license to a
gay couple.
Orr tweeted a photo of himself with the
happy couple: Tom Crisham, 36, and Andrew Rodbro, 38, of Chicago.
On February 21, Cook County became the
first Illinois county to start issuing such licenses after a federal
judge ruled that there was no need to wait for a marriage law to take
effect on June 1. The ruling was limited to Cook County but 15
additional counties have followed suit.
“With each of these milestones,
same-sex marriage becomes more an everyday fact of life,” Orr said
in a statement. “In less than two months the steady stream of gay
and lesbian couples seeking marriage licenses shows the strength of
the institution of marriage.”
Crisham, a banker, and Rodbro, a
teacher, have been together for 15 years.
“When we were able to get a domestic
partnership, we go that,” Crisham said. “When we were able to
get a civil union, we got it. And now, we're able to get married.”
“We're excited,” Rodbro aded.
Orr's office said that most of the
licenses (679) were issued to Cook County couples and nearly half
(491) of the couples live in Chicago.