As of June 1, we have civil unions. But civil unions aren't enough! The symbolic withholding of the name "marriage" is stigmatizing. Other states without civil unions don't recognize them, so traveling out of state leaves your partnership unprotected. And with the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) still in place, state level protections, even state-level legal marriage, cannot grant couples the 1138 federal-level rights and responsibilities of marriage.
DOMA is the federal law that prevents the federal government from recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples, even in states where it is legal. This blatantly discriminatory law bars the federal government from offering any of the legal benefits of marriage to those couples who have been joined in states that choose to recognize everyone's equal rights.
This law is currently under attack and crumbling inside of our justice system. The law has been declared unconstitutional in a number of federal courts and continues to work its way through the system. Most recently the Obama administration came out stating that it would no longer defend DOMA in these cases in federal court as that they believe the law to be unconstitutional. On the legislative side, the Repsect for Marriage Act has been introduced; that is a bill to repeal DOMA and recognize marriages in states that allow them.
Many people hope that civil unions will make our community shut up and go away, satisfied with this half-measure. We will not! Now is the time to let your own voice be heard. Let our representatives know that NOW is the time for marriage equality.
Come join us as we rally and march, and learn what you can do to bring about full equality nationwide. We need our whole community including all our allies engaged and fighting to repeal DOMA and win full marriage equality nationwide. We need YOU!
So far, the following groups have cosponsored: Bisexual & Queer Alliance of Chicago, Gay Liberation Network, Join The Impact Chicago, LGBT Change
Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130121870396903
