ILLINOIS: Court Refuses Hate Group's Plea To Stay Marriage Equality Cases

As the same-sex marriage bill winds its way through the Illinois legislature, two lawsuits to overturn the state ban are continuing. Today the anti-gay Thomas More Society lost their bid to squash the cases.  Via press release from Lambda Legal:

Today the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division denied a motion to stay the cases brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois seeking marriage for same-sex couples. The motion, brought by The Thomas More Society, attempted to delay any action in the case pending decisions in two federal marriage cases up for review in the United States Supreme Court, United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry. "The cases up for review in the United States Supreme Court involve different parties and a different body of law -- Illinois courts do not permit a defendant to stall a case based on speculation about what may happen in someone else's lawsuit involving a different body of law," said Camilla Taylor, Marriage Project Director for Lambda Legal. "We are pleased that our case will move forward and that loving, committed Illinois couples will have the chance to get to the heart of this case and explain to this Court why marriage is so important to their families."

RELATED: The Illinois Senate votes on marriage tomorrow!