Equality Illinois Meets With State Lawkmakers About Gay Marriage in Illinois
posted February 3rd, 2012

This week, the senate in Washington state narrowly approved a measure to legalize gay marriage. It’ll be the 7th state in the union to recognize marriage between same sex couples. While eight states, including Illinois, have civil union laws in place, LGBT organizations here want to add Illinois to the list of states where gays can marry. But it may not happen for at least another year. Randy Hannig is the Director of Public Policy with Equality Illinois. He says his organizations and others are meeting with state lawmakers to answer their questions and craft legislation clearing the way for gay marriage in Illinois. While there are some similarities to civil unions and marriage, Hannig tells WDCB News Reporter Yolanda Perdomo… there are differences between the two, affecting everything from spousal benefits to filing joint tax returns. The organization’s annual Justice For All gala takes place next weekend.

For more information, visit www.eqil.org.

New Mother-Daughter Club Aims to Help Others
posted February 1st, 2012

Two suburban moms are starting a new organization that’s a combination sorority and civic club. Shauna James and Maureen Thomas want Illinois’ first National Charity League affiliate to be in the Naperville-Aurora area. The National Charity League is a California-based non-profit dedicated to fostering mother-daughter relationships through community service. Naperville resident Shauna James was a member of the organization growing up in Texas and always wanted to start a chapter in the Chicago-area. She says now that her own daughters are teenagers … the time seemed right to begin the process of launching a local affiliate. James tells WDCB News she hopes to have Naperville-Aurora chapter up and running this spring, though it may take a year for the group to fully operational. An informational meeting on the National Charity League is being held Wednesday, February 1, at the Naperville Public Library on 95th Street.

For more information, visit www.nationalcharityleague.org/AboutNCL/tabid/3621/Default.aspx.

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