Okay, there's the Sox, and the Cubs, and the Art Institute, and "The Bean," and the lake, and Marshall Fields (for a few more weeks anyway), and the Museum of Science and Industry, and Unabridged Books, and Barbara's Books, and the Seminary Co-operative Bookstore (I have 3 shares), and the beautiful State Parks at White Pines and Starved Rock...and now there is this, too:

It seems that a conservative Illinois group, “The Illinois Family Institute,” has been trying to collect signatures to have a non-binding call for a constitutional gay marriage ban put to voters in 2006. To do that, they must collect about 280,000 signatures by April 20th. They started their campaign six months ago. At the halfway point in their campaign they have collected fewer than 50,000!

According to the latest polls, most voters believe a law already in place to prevent same-sex weddings is enough. The most recent poll, taken in June, indicates that while most voters oppose gay weddings, they would reject enshrining that in the state constitution.
Earlier this month the legislature rejected an attempt to pass an amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

The Institute isn’t giving up though, bless their hearts, assuming they have them. The truly interestingly named Randall Stuffelbeam, a member of something called the Constitution Party says, "We're at county fairs and gun shows wherever I go to campaign."

CATTY UNPASTORAL ASIDE: (There is a really, really tasteless joke to be had relating to his last name, but since my own is also one that has resulted in some off color humor, I’ll resist the temptation—and besides, he couldn’t help it, he was born with it…though I suppose if he prayed hard enough he could change…his last name.)

Interestingly, Equality Illinois, the state's biggest LGBT rights group, says the campaign is not only about bigotry. It's about money. "This has nothing to do with marriage in Illinois," according to EQ-IL spokesperson Rick Garcia. "They just want to build a mailing list of far right supporters to fundraise for the organization."

Regardless, though I suppose county fairs and gun shows might be hotbeds of homophobia if Randall’s popular there, it seems like my adopted home state, by in large, wants none of it. Perhaps though, just so he gets the message, we should start sending the gay square dance group from here in Chicago to those county fairs.