Gov. Quinn: Marriage equality the ‘paramount’ civil rights issue of recent years

Gov. Pat Quinn arguably could be one of the state’s top allies pushing for same-sex marriage in Illinois. But, then again, he’d rather not call it same-sex marriage or gay marriage. Instead, he prefers marriage equality because that’s what it’s about: equality and fairness under the law, he said. As activists, advocate organizations and other proponents across the state continue to ramp up efforts to pass a bill that would legalize the recognition of gay and lesbian nuptials after it stalled in the lame duck session early this month, Quinn said he too is “pushing hard” to get the bill passed in the first few weeks of the new legislative session beginning Feb. 5.