OAK PARK – State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) praised Illinois’ move to become the 16th state to allow same-sex marriage.

“With this law, gay and lesbian residents of Illinois move much closer to having the same rights as everyone else in the state,” Harmon said. “This day has been a long time coming, but I know the hard work to get here has been worth it for many loving couples and their supporters.”

Senator Harmon has a long history of supporting LGBT rights. The first year he served in the Senate, he co-sponsored legislation to prohibit discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation. After many twists and turns, protections for LGBT residents were added to the Human Rights Act in 2005.

Harmon also worked closely with the sponsor of the law that created civil unions in 2010, serving as a primary co-sponsor and introducing follow-up legislation to clarify that civil union licenses would cost the same as marriage licenses.

This year, Harmon once again served as a chief co-sponsor of the same-sex marriage law, and presided over the Senate as President Pro Tempore when the bill passed that chamber on Valentine’s Day.