Gearing up for another attempt to legislate gay marriage in the Land of Lincoln, Illinois Unites for Marriage, the umbrella organization for the same-sex marriage effort, announced that they have hired a campaign manager to lead the effort to get the bill passed this year. The group includes Equality Illinois and Lambda Legal among others, and has the financial support of wealthy gay marriage supporters. The group has also brought on board Citizen Action, the Chicago Urban League, and the Civil Rights Agenda.
Additionally, Equality Illinois is planning to raise another $500,000 for their attempt to redefine marriage in Illinois. According to Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov, about half of that will be put aside to protect the seats for those who vote for for gay marriage.