The gay rights community is in an uproar after the failure of a bid to make Illinois the thirteenth state to legalize same-sex marriage. The Illinois House adjourned Friday without taking a vote. There are calls for the House sponsor to resign, while others say that's wrong.
Most members of the Illinois House gave Rep. Greg Harris a standing ovation after he tearfully announced he would not call his same sex marriage legislation for a vote. The Chicago Democrat didn't believe it had enough support to pass.
Activists angry about the failure protested in Chicago over the weekend. And much of the heat is aimed squarely at Harris. Rick Garcia of the Civil Rights Agenda is particularly upset.
"This was a recipe for disaster from the beginning. Because I went ballistic when Rep. Harris introduced the bill and there were no African American or Latino co-sponsors on it."
He's not alone. In an editorial, publisher of the LGBT "Windy City Times" likewise faults Harris, for allowing the campaign to be dominated by white voices and for giving his colleagues political cover by having a vote.
Harris says if he'd tried and failed, it would hinder future attempts. He's getting support from key groups, like Equality Illinois - which calls Harris a stalwart leader.
