CHICAGO (September 9, 2010) — On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m. the Chicago History Museum’s In the K/Now program series will address the issue of gay marriage in Chicago and Illinois. Chicago is considered a gay-friendly city, yet gay Chicagoans are turning to other states to say “I do.” The program will take place at the Museum located at 1601 N. Clark Street and is FREE and open to the public.
The program will address issues revolving around the idea of equal rights for same-sex couples vs. the idea that same-sex marriage defies religious beliefs and moral values. The panel will discuss why this topic has become so controversial and will touch on the future of same-sex marriage in Illinois.
The panel will be an open conversation with journalist Laura Washington, Illinois State Representative Deborah Mell, and Lambda Legal attorney, Camilla Taylor. State Representative Mell has been a long time advocate of LGBT issues and currently serves on Congressman Mike Quigley’s LGBT advisory council. She and her partner plan to marry in Iowa next year. Taylor was the lead counsel on the case Varnum v. Brien, where she represented six same-sex Iowa couples wanting to marry. The case went to the Iowa Supreme Court in April of 2009. In a unanimous vote, the court agreed that the state’s same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples.
The In the K/Now program series happens once a month and explores contemporary issues affecting Chicagoans. For more information on this or other In the K/Now programs, please visit the Museum’s website at www.chicagohistory.org.