Chicago Civil Unions Event--June 2

On June 1 civil unions will become legal in Illinois. On that day, the state will begin issuing civil union licenses, and any same-sex couple that is legally married or civilly united in another state or country will be recognized as civilly united in Illinois. Starting June 2, civil unions can be performed here as well.

To celebrate the first day of civil union ceremonies in Illinois, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 2, the City of Chicago will host up to 30 civil unions at Wrigley Square in Millennium Park.

The civil unions will be performed by Cook County Clerk David Orr and volunteer judges. The ceremony for each couple will take place individually. Part of the purpose of the event is to make a public statement, so media will be present.

Concurrent with the ceremonies, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, there will be a private reception for the newly united couples and up to eight (8) guests per couple in the Chicago Cultural Center. The reception is sponsored by Equality Illinois and Lambda Legal.

Lambda Legal will select the couples for the event to make sure their diversity reflects that of the city — including male couples, female couples, and different sex couples — so it is reaching out to organizations like Asians and Friends Chicago to seek participation.

If you are interested in participating, please call Jim Bennett or Erik Roldan at (312) 663-4413.

In summary:

If you are interested in participating, please call Lambda Legal as soon as possible. Those chosen must obtain their civil union licenses on June 1. On June 2, beginning at 10 a.m., civil union ceremonies for individual couples will be held in Millennium Park, with judges officiating. Equality Illinois and Lambda Legal will host a reception for the newly united couples and up to eight (8) guests per couple in the Chicago Cultural Center, which is across the street from Millennium Park. In the case of rain, the entire event — ceremonies and reception — will be held in the Cultural Center.

One caveat: Because of the way the law is written, couples who are already legally married or entered into a legal civil union cannot participate. They will be automatically entered into an Illinois civil union on June 1.