2013 was an amazing year in the law for inclusiveness and equality. This year the constitutional framework of our country was reinforced and strengthened with the overturn of the Defense of Marriage Act and one state after another, including Illinois, recognizing same-sex marriages.
After my 35 years in the law, I find myself greatly moved by the transformation brought about by the US Supreme Court in the Winsor case that hate and inequality will not be condoned by the federal government. With state after state providing for marriage equality and more states consistently joining the movement to full equality this has been a remarkable year.
For me the law has always been a place where we were all equal – race does not divide us, our sex does not divide us. Our sexual orientation should never have and now in Illinois does not divide us. That is not to say that individuals might not discriminate or individuals might not follow the law, but the law itself now does not abide that kind of separation and inequality.
We still have many hurdles to overcome to secure inclusiveness and equality for all, and we at Jill M. Metz & Associates will be here to work on them with you.
