Community Corner
Same-Sex Marriage Bill Protest Planned for Fox Valley
Aurora Democrat Stephanie Kifowit's Montgomery Road office will be the site of the Saturday protest and counter-protest.
Same-sex marriage protests have been breaking out across the area at state representative’s local offices, and the Fox Valley will get its very own Saturday.
The nonprofit Illinois Family Institute is organizing the rallies, and will appear at Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit’s Montgomery Road office at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The IFI gathered at the Downers Grove office of State Rep. Ron Sandack last Saturday and the rally drew scores of counter-protesters. A similar “pro-equality” counter-protest is being organized locally by Fox Valley Pride — a “gay-straight alliance for all ages.”
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"We need to get a group together to make sure that the LGBT community is there to respond," the group wrote on its Facebook page.
The IFI opposes Senate Bill 10—the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act—which was passed by the Illinois Senate in February and is awaiting a vote by the House. In addition to allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil marriages, the legislation would protect churches and religious groups from being required to perform or recognize those unions.
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The Illinois Family Institute claims on its website that same-sex marriage in Illinois would "negatively affect every aspect of our society and have disastrous consequences for children."
"We need your help to protect God's institution of marriage and protect the children of Illinois!" the website states.
Sandack is one of only two Republicans in the Illinois House that have publicly supported the same-sex marriage bill, the other being Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr. of Mundelein.
Kifowit told Patch in her November 2012 campaign questionnaire that she supports marriage equality.
“Everyone should enjoy the same civil rights and no one should face discrimination because of their sexual orientation,” Kifowit wrote. “I believe the intent behind Illinois’ recently enacted civil unions law has done just that.”
A Kifowit spokesperson said Tuesday a decision on whether the representative will attend the event has not been made.
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