Until a few days ago, Denise White was fighting two battles. White, who has breast cancer and raises her four daughters with a same-sex partner in Glenview, worried about the guardianship of her daughters should she pass away. Although White and her partner raise White's daughters jointly, her partner did not have the same rights to guardianship—or to make decisions regarding medical treatment— as a legally married couple. That was before the Dec. 1 passage of the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act by state lawmakers, explained Barbara Schon-Lundberg, a local LGBT rights activist. The bill—which passed 61-52 in the House of Representatives Tuesday and 32-24 in the state Senate Wednesday—now awaits Gov. Pat Quinn's signature. The act is a step in the right direction, Schon-Lundberd said. The purpose of the law, which grants extended rights to both homosexual and heterosexual couples joined in civil unions, is to certify and register these unions and “provide persons entering into a civil union with the obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois to spouses,” according to the law's text. Schon-Lundberg is president of the PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois. PFLAG, which stands for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, has 26 members in Glenview, said Schon-Lundberg, who also lives in the village. “It's something we've been waiting for,” she added. “We want marriage equality, but this is a good step.” Schon-Lundberg has been involved in PFLAG for the past nine years, after she became active in the organization to support her gay brother. She has been editor of the organization's newsletter, Open Doors, and said she doesn't get much opposition to her work from village residents. Her job is to advocate for and protect people like White and her partner, she said. “…There's still a lot of work to be done [to legalize gay marriage] and it will take time, but the tide is turning. There is growing support all the time.” added by: TimALoftis
