“This is a controversial issue that I did not take lightly. After speaking with constituents and community leaders, it was clear that a majority supports marriage equality.” – State Senator Michael Hastings

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael Hastings (D-Orland Hills) joined 34 senators in a bi-partisan vote to advance Senate Bill 10 to the Illinois House – a bill that redefines the state’s definition of marriage.

“This is a controversial issue that I did not take lightly,” Hastings said. “But after speaking with constituents and community leaders, it was clear that a majority supports marriage equality.”

Public opinion on the issue continues to shift rapidly, particularly among young people. A November 2012 Public Policy Polling survey found 47 percent of voters in Illinois favoring same-sex marriage with 42 percent opposed, marking the highest showing of public support for gay marriage ever in Illinois.

Hastings stressed that this is an issue regarding human rights and that the state has an obligation to ensure that rights are applied equally.

“I believe that it is safe to assume that we will look back on this decision in 20 years and wonder why it was such a major issue,” Hastings said. “It’s an issue that was reconciled today. I think it’s fitting to remember a man who fought for equality and justice, Dr. Martin Luther King.  He said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’  Today, I am proud to say, we, the Senate, voted in favor of justice.”

If Illinois legalizes same-sex marriage, it will join nine other states and the District of Columbia. The state has had civil unions available for same-sex couples since June 2011.