“We have had a surge of calls to our Legal Help Desk since November when the law passed the legislature,” Taylor said. “By launching Civil Union Tracker with our partners at Equality Illinois, our goal is to provide a much needed service to same-sex and different-sex couples in civil unions, and to their children. Many will have questions about what the law means. We also know from experience in other states with civil unions that many families will encounter difficulties in getting respect for their status as legally recognized families after the law goes into effect. Our goal is to help these families navigate Illinois’ new legal landscape with as few challenges as possible.”
The program is launched with support of Equality Illinois.
“As we continue to fight for marriage equality, Civil Union Tracker is a way for Illinois residents to communicate their unique experiences,” said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois.
“Through these stories, we can provide a necessary service to the community while we celebrate the progress we are making. At the same time, we need to document the harms that result from excluding lesbian and gay couples from marriage and relegating them to a separate status.”