Illinois may soon allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.
The Illinois Senate on Wednesday approve a bill that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions, according to the Chicago Tribune. The House approved the bill on Monday.
Gov. Pat Quinn has said he will sign the bill into law, according to NBC Chicago.
“This is definitely a step forward for Illinois,” said Weinberg senior Stephanie Letzler, co-president of the Rainbow Alliance, a student LBGT group.
Letzler said members of the group are “quite happy” with the bill but added that it is only the “first step” and lacks the symbolic importance of a same-sex marriage act.
Though the bill is a welcomed compromise, said co-president Jeff Geiger, civil unions cannot substitute for marriage.
“Having a separate institution in place at the end of the day tends to marginalize LGBT people,” the Weinberg junior said. “It serves to prevent the normalization of homosexuality.”
