GREENS TO HOLD EQUAL MARRIAGE FORUM, BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR "SCAMMING" GAY COMMUNITY

ILLINOIS GREEN PARTY
www.ilgp.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Wednesday, June 3, 2009

GREENS TO HOLD EQUAL MARRIAGE FORUM, BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR "SCAMMING"
GAY COMMUNITY

Contact:
Phil Huckelberry
Illinois Green Party Chair
309-268-9974
phil.huckelberry@ilgp.org

Patrick Kelly
Illinois Green Party Media Coordinator
773-203-9631
media@ilgp.org


The Green Party blasted Democrats in the state legislature for
deliberately stalling three gay rights bills in the recent legislative
session that ended earlier this week.

"The Democratic Party has been a big disappointment on gay rights,"
said Steve Alesch, candidate for Congress in 2008. "Democrats control
the White House, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House. Democrats have
held the Illinois governor's office and have controlled both chambers of
the state legislature since 2003. Yet, still no civil unions, no equal
marriage. Nothing but stalling, year after year after year."

In the Illinois General Assembly, House Bill 2234 (civil unions), and
House Bill 178 (equal marriage), stalled in the House rules committee, a
tactic Democratic leaders often use to stifle unwanted legislation.

There was some movement on Senate Bill 1716, Amendment 1, which has
similar language to HB2234. In a well-timed PR stunt, the Democrats
let the amendment pass out of a committee on the same day that a
California court upheld Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage, but did
nothing further to advance the bill.

"The Democrats perpetuate their image as the 'gay friendly' party, and
they are more than happy to take contributions from gay donors, but do
precious little to help the cause," said A.J. Segneri, ILGP Membership
Steward. "This is the great scam on the gay community."

The Illinois Green Party is taking lawmakers to task for their indifference
by seeking new candidates who support equal marriage to run in 2010.
The Greens have recently formed a new Lavender Caucus within their
state party to help reach out to the gay community.

"Most lawmakers would rather remain non-committal, and wait for the
courts to do the heavy-lifting," said Gini Lester, of the ILGP's Lavender
Caucus. "But the courts can't always get it done, as we've seen with
California's proposition 8 fiasco. So the Green Party is taking a stand."

The DuPage County Green Party is focusing on marriage equality this
month, with its June 30 forum "Civil Unions, Equal Marriage and
Straights: How marriage equality in Illinois benefits everyone." The forum
will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, at the Westmont Public
Library, 428 N. Cass, Westmont, IL. For more information, visit
www.dupagegreens.org.

The forum, free and open to the public, is part of the new Social
Justice Series, focusing on issues of equality, peace, freedom and
sustainability.

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