BELLEVILLE The couples that lined up at theSt. Clair County Courthouse on Wednesday to be among the first inthe state to get civil union licenses all shared the samesentiment.
They wanted to be part of history and to punctuate theircommitment with a document demonstrating they are legallyrecognized by the state of Illinois as a couple.
For Kristin Shelby, 38, and Amanda Buldtman, 31, of Herrin,Ill., getting a civil union license served two purposes. The first,Shelby said, is to finally share many of the rights granted toopposite-sex couples when they are married. The second is to be alegally recognized couple before their first child comes into theworld. His arrival is scheduled for tonight after Buldtman's doctorinduces her labor. Her due date was Monday.
"We've been together almost 14 years, and now we can have rightsas a couple," Shelby said. "Our families are great, but you neverknow what might happen in the event of an emergency and one of usis in the hospital. Emotions take over. So we wanted to havethis."
The new civil union law provides most of the state legal rightsof married couples in areas such as hospital visitation rights,health insurance and property ownership. But the federal governmentand most states don't recognize same-sex partnerships. So coupleswith civil unions still have to file federal taxes as two singlepeople. And there is no certainty that the license would grant themhospital visitation rights if they were in another state.
Sarah Baldwin said that while civil unions are not on par withmarriages, Illinois is headed in the right direction.
"It's a small step forward," said Baldwin, 35, of Shiloh. "Wecould have gone to another state to get married, but we wanted tobe legally together here in our home state." She and HeatherSowell, 38, will have a ceremony next month to mark theirunion.
Illinois joins seven other states that currently allow civilunions or broadly defined domestic partnerships for same-sexcouples but not formal marriage. They are California, Delaware,Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington.
Five other states offer fully equal marriage rights for same-sexcouples: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire andVermont. The District of Columbia also allows same-sexmarriage.
The majority of states, including Missouri, have constitutionalbans on same-sex marriage.
The new Illinois law did not come without controversy. The billpassed the Senate 32-24-1 in December after passing the House by aone-vote margin a day before.
One of the most vocal opponents is Rep. Ron Stephens, ofHighland. He calls the new law an opportunity to degrade valuesthat some hold dear.
And other states have been stung by moving forward on same-sexrelationship rights.
Last year, three Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled in favorof same-sex marriages were voted out of office. And in California,voters in 2008 supported a constitutional amendment banning gaymarriage after the state Supreme Court earlier that year ruled infavor of the unions. Today, California grants full rights tosame-sex couples but does not marry them.
Gay rights activists say they will continue to push for same-sexmarriage in every state.
A Gallup Poll last month of 1,018 adults suggests that for thefirst time, a majority of Americans supports same-sex marriage.When the question was first posed 15 years ago, only 27 percent ofthose polled said they supported the unions. That percentage grewto 42 percent in 2004. Today, it's 53 percent.
"There is no question the momentum is strongly in favor ofending the discriminatory patchwork and treating gay peopleequally," said Evan Wolfson, president of New York-based Freedom toMarry and author of "Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, andGay People's Right to Marry."
He said civil union partnerships are important but still notwhere America should be with granting equal rights to gaycouples.
"It's better to have some protections than none, but people inIllinois are still vulnerable to uncertainties and inequality thatcomes from being denied the freedom to marry."
Locally, the demand was not strong for civil union licenses onthe first day. By midafternoon, 14 licenses had been issued inMadison County, compared with seven in St. Clair County and one inMonroe County.
Dianna Thomas, 45, and Debra Scarlet, 54, of New Athens,exchanged vows 17 years ago. Now, with their civil union license inhand, their relationship is legally recognized. The women, bothpastors at Well of Living Water Ministries, a nondenominationalchurch in Belleville, say they are doing what Christians are to do:obey the laws of the land. They hope the new law eventually appliesin all states.
"We believe there has to be equality for everyone," said Thomas,45.
The women plan to renew their vows, most likely next month,Scarlet said.
Those who applied for civil union licenses on Wednesday willhave to wait at least a day before formalizing the unions with ajudge, retired judge or religious official. That same rule applieswith marriage licenses. However, a county judge can issue a waiver,allowing for a same-day ceremony.
One was granted in St. Clair County, to Shelby and Buldtman.
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