CHICAGO — Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy was outspoken in his support of President Barack Obama during the run-up to the 2008 election. Now he's following in the president's footsteps, announcing his support of a proposal that would legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois.
Writing in the Belleville News-Democrat, Tweedy, a Belleville native, said denying gay couples the right to marry would relegate them to second-class citizens.
"In my travels, I've witnessed firsthand that gay and lesbian couples want to marry for the same reasons all of us do - to share a lifetime of commitment," he wrote. "I feel very strongly that everyone should be able to marry the person he or she loves and enjoy the dignity and respect that comes with that commitment."
Tweedy said "the time is now" to support the gay community.
Last month, the Illinois Senate approved a measure that would allow same-sex couples to marry. The House is weighing the measure now.
Opponents of the bill say same-sex marriage would harm children and families. On Saturday a group of black clergy marched down Michigan Avenue; they oppose the measure on religious and moral grounds, but other black clergy support it.