As a Chicago-based LesbiFriend, I figured it was my duty to report that the Civil Unions Bill has recently been passed in Illinois. Civil unions provide legal recognition of gay couples and gives them some of the same benefits automatically available to married couples. This is awesome and amazing because 1) living in Chicago, it's easy to forget that Illinois is country as shit... so kudos to our fine state for being so progressive so quickly (not even 10 states in the union recognize gay marriage or any of its derivatives) and 2) this bill gives us the right to visit a sick partner in the hospital, control disposition of a deceased loved one's remains and make decisions about a loved one's medical care.
