Once again, same-sex civil unions are not enough for gay marriage activists:

A year after gay couples gained the option of civil unions in Illinois, some lawmakers are beginning a push to authorize same-sex marriages.

Three legislators filed what they call the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act” on Wednesday. It would eliminate the part of state law that now explicitly prohibits gay marriages and would offer same-sex couples the marriage rights now exclusively available to heterosexual couples.

... Lawmakers might be hesitant to support the legislation in an election year, and the measure is likely to trigger strong opposition from conservative groups.

... The gay rights group Equality Illinois said that legalizing civil unions were a step forward, but remain a poor substitute for same-sex marriage.

“Separate is not equal,” said the group's CEO, Bernard Cherkasov. -- Chicago Tribune