Illinois Legalizes Gay Marriage

On Wednesday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a bill legalizing gay marriage, making Illinois the 16^th state to do so. The governor’s signature comes after the state legislature passed the bill earlier this month. Even with the governor signing off on the measure, however, it is not set to take effect until June 1. Under the bill, the Chicago Tribune reports, “the definition of marriage in Illinois would change from an act between a man and a woman to one between two people.” The new law also allows gay couples would to convert civil unions into marriages within a year.