#eqil

Currently we are awaiting the return of the Illinois House of Reps to session. They were expected to reconvene at 4PM but now at 4:22 we are still just watching everyone mull about on the House floor through the Livestream coverage I have had pulled up on my browser all day. 

There was a HUGE push during their recess by the big-wigs in the equality movement to get people to contact the Speaker, Rep. Madigan by phone or email to urge him to bring the bill to the floor tonight or tomorrow. I personally called at least 10 times and got a busy signal every time so I decided to email him instead, finding his email address online and sent out a quick email to essentially beg him to give us rights (I have no shame). 

"Rep. Madigan, I am a student in my doctorate in clinical psychology program with a concentration in traumatic stress in the child and adolescent population. I have dedicated the rest of my life to helping other who have suffered unspeakable atrocities and I have decided to do so in the beautiful state of Illinois. My partner and I became engaged on May 1st and we are planning a Sept. 2014 wedding. But we refuse to have anything less than full equality in the land that bred a President who stood up against such severe oppression like President Lincoln did. Please, I urge you to bring this issue to the House Floor and give us the happy ending we deserve. Thank you, Sean McGlew"

Then, something beautiful happened. I texted his email and phone number to my parents and posted about it on Facebook and suddenly I was overwhelmed with the number of people telling me they would contact him or are currently contacting him. From people living outside of the state to classmates and family members, the outreach was astounding. My mom sent a short, sweet, and beautiful email.. 

"My son and his fiancé live in Illinois and want to get married. They are a beautiful couple, very much in love. Please bring the marriage equality bill to the house floor for a full vote by tomorrow.They deserve the same rights as you and me.

Thank you so much"

One of my best friends, Caitlin, put up this Facebook status, 

"no freedom til we're equal, damn right I support it" Sean Joseph and Brandon Strawn my heart is with you in Illinois today hoping they pass this bill to legalize same sex marriage...your love is just as important as any other"

Brandon's mom texted him,

 "I tried [to call] but phone is busy. Dr. Strawn will continue to try. (Ma ma Bear is angry.) :-)"

His sister emailed Rep. Ford stating, 

"Dear Representative Ford: I am writing to thank you for publicly announcing your support for marriage equality in the state of Illinois.  I am one of four children, and three of my four siblings are happily married.  My brother Brandon (the baby of the family)  is the only one who is unmarried.  However, I am excited to report, he is engaged!  With your support, we hope he will be able to marry his wonderful partner Sean.  They are residents of Chicago. On behalf of all my family, we thank you so much! With gratitude and respect, Cheryl Strawn Knox"

And still numerous others emailed or made attempts at calling the Reps. It is such a beautiful and humbling event to see the rally that has come around us throughout our journey and especially during this final push towards equality. No matter what the outcome, we have solidified the knowledge that we are deeply blessed to be surrounded with such magnificent people. This is a blessing we do not take for granted nor do we view it lightly. We are fully aware that our blessing is one that not all LGBTQ individuals have the luxury of enjoying. Our deepest hope is that one day this rejection that so many of our LGBTQ family members experience on a day-by-day basis will be a distant memory and we can all celebrate in the beautiful of unconditional love and acceptance that all children and adults deserve from their loved ones.

We love you all more than words can describe. 

Last night we went to a meeting held at the Chicago Urban League where members of the LAMBDA Legal, ACLU Illinois, and Equality Illinois big-wigs came and talked about the status of the Marriage Equality Bill in Illinois. Despite some people being a bit too aggressive towards the people who have helped make this movement so effective, it was an overall empowering and exciting meeting! 

They couldn't give us too much information because at this juncture when it is so close to the end of the month they have to play their cards as close to their chest as possible. However, they were able to tell us that: 

They believe they have enough votes to make sure marriage equality in Illinois is passed by May 31st 2013!!!!

I can't describe the feeling when we heard this. It was a strong mixture of excitement and fear. We have been waiting a long time for this but at the same time we aren't there yet so its scary to get too comfortable with the idea that we should expect to have equal rights at the end of May. 

If the bill fails on the House floor by the end of this session we won't be able to bring it back until the beginning of next year, a voting year, when politicians aren't going to want to be burdened with such a controversial issue. So to us, this is make it or break it. 

So for the next week its a matter of phone banking, calling/emailing reps and A LOT of praying. We will keep you up to date on the going on's of the movement. We are staying positive and confident that the leaders of our community are strong and powerful enough to prove that love really does conquer all.