Ill. Sees Explosion in Civil Union Ceremonies; 23 Percent Performed by Clergy
Illinois is experiencing an explosion in civil union ceremonies as Cook County reports issuing nearly 1,000 licenses to same-sex couples eager to be joined together since the Illinois civil union law went into effect June 1. Returned licenses show that 23 percent of recipients had a religious ceremony.
The Cook County clerk's office has issued 956 civil union licenses since they first became available last month.
The county issued 831 of those licenses in June alone. The office, headed by David Orr, handed out 209 civil union licenses on June 1. The numbers of couples asking for civil unions following June 1 decreased to a steady flow of an average of 30 licenses a day, reported the Chicago Tribune.
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Of those who applied for the June licenses in Cook County, about 51.5 percent were purchased by lesbian couples. Another 43 percent of gay couples purchased a license for a civil union.
Still, more couples are planning civil union ceremonies.
So far, 125 county licenses have been purchased in July as of last Friday. Of the licenses returned to the Cook County office, 23 percent show that contracts were completed through a religious ceremony; 77 percent of those returning the licenses had civil ceremonies.
Equality Illinois says the religious community has been supportive of same-sex couples' desire to be joined together.
"People of faith are among the strongest supporters of LGBT equality because they believe in natural equality of all human beings," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, in a statement.
The group maintains a database of ordained clergy members who support civil unions and are willing to officiate at such unions.
The Rev. Suzann Hurdle of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is among the clergy members in the database.
"It is important for the people of Illinois to know that there are many, many faithful, Bible-believing Christians who support civil unions and believe they will strength families in Illinois and the communities in which the families live," Hurdle shared at the May formation of the database.
Same-sex couples joined in civil unions will now be eligible to receive many of the same rights and legal benefits – including adoption and foster care – as heterosexual couples under the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act.
However, there are many Christian leaders nationwide who believe unions of any kind between homosexuals put the family unit in peril. Sanctioning those unions in state law is considered detrimental to society.
"The government has no reason to provide affirmation or benefits to relationships that do not serve the public good; and relationships based on same-sex attraction and volitional homosexual acts do not per se serve the public good. Lawmakers should be looking at ways to strengthen the natural family, not undermine it," David E. Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute, said in a June statement.
Smith also fears that civil union law is simply a stepping stone to legalized same-sex marriage in the state.
About 65 percent of those who applied for the county licenses live in Chicago. While many of the applicants were in homosexual relationships, opposite sex couples also accounted for 5.5 percent of June license sales. The Cook County office says it generated about $37,000 in revenue from the licenses.
Equality Illinois estimates 1,600 licenses were issued statewide last month.
