Some theologically conservative Christians help civil unions and remain opposed to very same-sex marriage. Several faith leaders and religious institutions are welcoming to similar-sex couples and are willing to perform marriages and civil unions. Marriage being a spiritual/religious rite ought to be preserved as such without the state ordering or regulating how or by who it is practiced. If you are unsure regardless of whether your current legal relationship is substantially similar” to a civil union, then you may want to seek advice from a lawyer. Below the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA”), signed into law in 1996, the federal government did not recognize marriages of exact same-sex couples. The language of marriage carries a social weight that civil partnership does not.

All laws of the state of Illinois that are applicable to marriage apply equally to marriages of identical-sex couples and distinct-sex couples and their young children. If … Read the rest >>>