ILLINOIS: Court Rules That Gay Marriages May Commence In Cook County

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a court has ruled that same-sex marriages may commence immediately in Cook County. The law was due to go into effect statewide on June 1st. 

UPDATE: From the ACLU of Illinois.

I am so pleased to let you know that a short while ago, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman ordered Cook County Clerk David Orr to begin providing marriage licenses to same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry, rather than requiring them to wait until June. The decision comes in a case brought by the ACLU of Illinois, along with our allies at Lambda Legal. Marriage licenses will begin to be issued immediately. As you know, Governor Pat Quinn signed a marriage equality law in November. The default start date for that law is June 1, 2014. The ACLU and Lambda first sought marriage licenses for those couples with one partner who because of a life-threatening illness might not survive until the June start date. Today's decision recognizes the constitutional right of couples to marry the person they love now, without waiting for that arbitrary deadline. It also builds on momentum from decisions across the nation, recognizing the freedom to marry for couples from Virginia to Oklahoma. We are thrilled to be part of this historic decision. Illinois is a fairer, stronger state moving forward.

ILLINOIS: Court Hears Motion To Dismiss Marriage Equality Lawsuit

Today in Illinois the Cook County Circuit Court heard oral arguments in the anti-gay Thomas More Society's bid to dismiss the marriage equality lawsuit brought in May 2012 by Lambda Legal and the ACLU. Lambda Legal writes via press release:

Today we urged the court to ensure that same-sex couples and their families get their day in court. We put forward the severe harms experienced by the 25 plaintiff couples and the thousands of same-sex couples and their children in Illinois every day because their government marks them as unequal. The recent Supreme Court ruling striking down DOMA has made the freedom to marry even more urgent in Illinois than it was before because Illinois now stands between these families and a host of federal protections, benefits, rights and responsibilities. Civil unions do not fully access the federal safety net that marriage provides, and Illinois families can’t wait any longer.

No word on when a ruling is expected.