First Gay Marriage in Illinois: Emergency Wedding for Lesbian Couple Dying of Cancer

By Staff Reporter (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Nov 28, 2013 02:42 AM EST

Tags Vernita Gray, Patricia Ewert, Cook County Clerk, illinois, Gay Marriage, Governor Pat Quinn

The first ever legal gay wedding in Illinois took place earlier this week.

Vernita Gray, 64, is terminally ill with cancer. She did not have time to wait for six months before Illinois state law recognizing gay marriages would take effect. She petitioned federal court to grant her and her partner, 65-year-old Patricia Ewert, an emergency license to wed ahead of the law becoming enforcible, a report from Reuters noted.

According to gay rights legal advocacy group Lambda Legal, Ewert and Gray were wed two days after the license was granted. The private ceremony was held in the couple's home in front of friends and family.

In a statement issued through the Chicago Tribune, Lambda Legal Marriage Project Director Camilla Taylor said, "Every day is crucial for same-sex couples like Vernita and Pat, who may not be able to and shouldn't have to wait until next summer to get married. We're thankful for the swift action by the court and the Cook County Clerk's office to allow this happen as soon as possible and we're beyond thrilled for Vernita and Pat, who are now able to say 'We're married.'"

According to Yahoo!, the Illinois gay marriage law was signed by the state's governor Pat Quinn last week. The said law was scheduled to become effective on June 1, 2014. Because of this set date, the couple sued claiming discrimination as it prevented the couple from benefitting the rewards set in the law before the possible death of Gray.

Gray, through a statement said, "I'm so excited for us and for the community, for today is a beginning. One so richly deserved."

The signing by the Illinois governor signifies the state as the 16th in the Union that recognizes same sex marriages. This is the latest victory for the movement, as it also obtained approval of gay marriages in Hawaii. New Jersey for its part, according to healthmedicine.net, saw its governor Chris Christie dropping his appeal of a court ruling that approved same sex marriages in his state.