IL Gov. Quinn celebrates same-sex marriage at Pride Parade

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the state's marriage equality law last year. Official photo.

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn attended the Gay Pride Parade in Chicago, lauding the state's same-sex marriage law that he signed last November.

Quinn said at the Sunday parade that he was proud to lobby for same-sex marriage and sign the measure. As many as 1 million people were expected at the parade — the first since gay marriage was legalized in Illinois.

The Democratic governor faces a re-election bid against GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner (ROW'-nur), who has said voters should have decided whether to allow gay marriage. The Winnetka businessman says now that gay marriage is law he won't advocate repealing it unless voters say they want it changed in a referendum.

Quinn says he doesn't "need a referendum to tell me what the right thing to do is."

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The Gayly – June 29, 2014 @ 1:30pm