Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn spoke, on Jan. 14, at a fundraiser on behalf of Equality Illinois PAC at Hubbard Inn, 110 W. Hubbard St. Quinn considers signing the marriage equality bill a central part of his legacy and spoke of the road from the passage of the civil unions bill in 2011 to his signing of the marriage equality law on Abraham Lincoln’s desk at the UIC Forum in 2013.
“I thought that that was a special way to to say to the state that this was an important matter of civil rights,” Quinn said, also noting with pride that marriage equality in the state was accomplished largely through democratic action, as opposed to the judicial process that settled the matter in other states and nationally. “We did that by the legislative and executive branches.”
After his speech, Quinn said that he had no current plans to run for office again and instead planned to take part in drives for various referenda. “I think people like to vote on issues as well as candidates, that why I like organizing those … Marriage equality came about because of an intense organizing campaign by thousands of people who never gave up. I really think that’s a lesson we should learn for the future.”