By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

The Oak Park Village Board last week unanimously passed a resolution making it the first municipality to support House Bill 1826, which would make civil unions available to same-sex couples in Illinois.

The resolution, introduced by Village Trustee Ray Johnson, passed with no discussion July 17. It states that Oak Park supports the Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act, introduced this past winter by Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago). HB 1826 has passed House Human Services Committee with a 5-4 vote and is now awaiting a vote by the House.

Johnson, the Village Board’s only openly gay trustee, said that he was not expecting much debate over the resolution. He called the Village Board “a like-minded group who believes in fairness and equality for everyone in the community.”

He said that the resolution sent state legislators the message that, “as elected officials of the community, we’re for this. It’s too easy for communities to say they ‘accept’ diversity. We want to celebrate it.”

Harris said that since some of the area’s legislators are not yet on board in support of HB 1826, “the vote is very important in letting them know what the community feels and thinks.”

With a domestic partner registry that’s been active for 10 years, as well as an anti-discrimination ordinance that was in place long before the state’s, Oak Park has traditionally been welcoming to its GLBT residents, said Alan Amato, co-founder of Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association.

“Being an Oak Parker, I’m not surprised that our Village Board passed the resolution. What was surprising is that we were the first municipality to do so,” said Amato, who was at the meeting when the resolution passed.

“It was very pleasing. Those meetings are usually attended by people with many different agendas. But when that was passed, the entire room broke out in applause,” said Amato.

“Oak Park has long been a leader in standing up for the rights of gays and lesbians. They have excellent leadership,” said Equality Illinois Political Director Rick Garcia, who added that he hoped that Oak Park’s action would spur other municipalities to pass similar resolutions.