Kurt Olson, Illinois House of Representatives, 4/24/96
The Declaration of Independence guarantees to every citizen a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I believe that the House bill that would not recognize marriages contracted between persons of the same sex in another state in the Union is as immoral as any continuing law that discriminates against persons of the same sex wishing to get married to one another.
Where is the Constitutional protection and right for every citizen with which I began this testimony?
At one time the Church, using the most up-to-date knowledge believed that the earth was flat, and that the sun revolved around the earth. It took secular society just a relatively short time to celebrate the newly evealed truth, while it took the Western Roman Church centuries to admit that an opinion it once held confidently was wrong. This is an excellent example of what George Fowler would call an "institutionally vested opinion." A recent governmental institutionally vested opinion was that of segregation, until the Constitution was used to uphold the God-given truth that everyone is guaranteed equal opportunity under the law. Today such a similarly institutionally vested opinion is what a handful of church officials and elected government representatives hold in opposition to continuously emerging contemporary scientific revelations about the genesis of sexual orientation of any kind.
Under the Illinois statute numbered 5/213, there is mentioned certain prohibited marriages which would be contrary to the public policy of this State. But, is it not the public policy of this State to make sure that every one of her citizens is able to contribute to the stability of our society through our Constitutionally-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Is it not the responsibility of every religious group to honor the individual and support the same in the up building of this temporal society? This bill is not in the best interest of either any individual or group, or our State of Illinois as a whole. Instead, it is being used to stir up anxieties which always accompany progressive changes whether in government, religion or society, and to exploit the same in the raising of monies for political elections.
The same question which was asked of a United States senator over forty years ago seems so appropriate to be asked of the sponsors and those who would support this bill today, "Have you no shame?"