Civil Union Tracker, Vote Naked launched

Lambda Legal and Equality Illinois announced Jan. 31 that the groups have created Civil Union Tracker, a project to inform and support families and couples who take advantage of Illinois' new civil unions law.

"We have had a surge of calls to our legal help desk since November when the law passed the legislature," said Camilla Taylor, senior staff attorney at the Midwest regional office of Lambda Legal in Chicago. "By launching Civil Union Tracker with our partners at Equality Illinois, our goal is to provide a much needed service to same-sex and different-sex couples in civil unions, and to their children."

Lambda officials say that couples have experienced problems in other states that have enacted civil unions laws, some stemming from not having their partnership rights recognized in medical settings and others from difficulties with employers, insurers and school officials. Couples in civil unions need to know their rights, they said.

"Our goal is to help these families navigate Illinois' new legal landscape with as few challenges as possible," Taylor said.

Illinois' new law provides that couples in civil unions receive the responsibilities, protections and benefits available to married couples under state law and also establishes that out-of-state marriages of

same-sex couples are treated as civil unions automatically.

The law was signed by Gov. Pat Quinn (D) Jan. 31 and the first civil unions registrations can take place June 1.

The Civil Union Tracker informs couples of their rights, answers questions and provides a place for couples to share their stories, Lambda and Equality officials said.

"As we continue to fight for marriage equality, Civil Union Tracker is a way for Illinois residents to communicate their unique experiences," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. "Through these stories, we can provide a necessary service to the community while we celebrate the progress we are making. At the same time, we need to document the harms that result from excluding lesbian and gay couples from marriage and relegating them to a separate status.

"Couples can register for and access Civil Union Tracker at lambdalegal.org/ take-action/il-civil-union-tracker.

Equality officials also announced Feb. 1 the return of the group's Vote Naked campaign, which successfully encouraged thousands of LGBT voters to take advantage of relaxed absentee ballot rules in the fall 2010 state and federal elections. The same rules apply to the Feb. 22 city election, Equality officials said, meaning voters can request an absentee ballot and vote by mail without having to specify a reason for not going to the polls to vote.

"It is imperative that Illinois voters cast their ballots this February, regardless of how they vote, where they vote or what they wear," Cherkasov said. "With vote-by-mail, it is so easy to cast a ballot in the privacy of one's own home, you can do it naked."

Equality runs the Vote Naked project in partnership with Lambda Legal, Affinity Community Services, Chicago House, PFLAG, the Center on Halsted and other organizations. Voters can request an absentee ballot at Equality Illinois' Facebook page, where they can also design their own unique naked avatar. Applications for absentee ballots for the city election must be received by Feb. 17.