Six months after the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act became law, it finally went into effect statewide yesterday, and today, marriage licenses are being issued throughout the state and couples who were joined in civil unions could start converting their status to marriages if they desire.
To celebrate, Equality Illinois worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago to hold a series of marriage ceremonies throughout the day. All the couples were magnificent. One of the emotional highlights was the ceremony of Jim Darby and Patrick Bova, a couple together for 51 years who have been at the forefront of the fight for marriage equality.
Gov. Pat Quinn stopped by to honor their marriage and serve as a witness.