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Deb Mell to Divorce Wife, Alderman Announces on Twitter

By Erica Demarest | July 4, 2014 8:57am | Updated on July 7, 2014 8:55am
 Deb Mell, with wife Christin Baker, is the first lesbian to serve on Chicago's City Council.
Deb Mell, with wife Christin Baker, is the first lesbian to serve on Chicago's City Council.
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DNAinfo/Patty Wetli

CHICAGO — Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) announced on Twitter she's divorcing her wife of almost three years.

"Dear Friends," Mell posted, "It is with great sadness I tell you my marriage with Christin [Baker] has ended. As you know divorce is painful, therefore we ask for privacy as we go through this process. Thank you for your continued support and understanding."

The alderman made history last summer when she became the first out lesbian to serve on the city council.

Mell, a former state representative, married longtime partner Baker in August 2011 in a small ceremony in Iowa.

Mell had announced her engagement the year before when she made an impassioned plea on the Illinois House floor in favor of same-sex marriage. Many credit the move as a turning point in Illinois' push for equal marriage rights.

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