Same-sex couples line up for marriage licenses across IL

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Dozens of couples lined up across the state of Illinois Monday to exercise their right to marry.

County clerk offices say they are ready to handle any increase in applications for marriage licenses. The Religious Freedom And Marriage Equality Act requires all of Illinois' 102 counties to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 1.

On Monday morning Cook County Clerk David Orr tweeted a photo of the first same-sex couple in line at his office along with the message, "Congratulations, William and Darren! #marriageequality."

In Lake County, half a dozen couples began lining up at 6:30 a.m. to apply for marriage licenses or to convert their civil union into a marriage. That scene was echoed all over the state.

Mary Beth Schultz and Joy Rosenberg were married today after being together for over two decades.

"It's been 25 years in the making," Rosenberg said. "It feels really darn good."

Steve Cothard and Chris Nutter were married in a civil union back in October 2011, but stood in line today to have that union converted into a full legal marriage.

"The civil union was about putting a label to a relationship that already existed," said Cothard. "The marriage feels as if other people are acknowledging this relationship too."

According to Cook County Clerk David Orr, 120 couples converted their civil unions to marriages on Monday.

Illinois became the 16th state to legalize same sex marriage when Governor Pat Quinn signed the law in November, and since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act last June, over a dozen judges across the nation have declared same sex marriage bans illegal.