This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 21, 2010 - Bob Kustra spends his time these days spearheading a $175-million fundraising initiative, leading a faculty and staff of 2,400 and rooting for his Boise State Broncos, a top-tier football sensation.
On a memorable afternoon in the Illinois House three decades ago, the future university president was not riding nearly as high. He found nothing to cheer about. Compelled to confront legislation that pitted principle against pragmatism, the rookie Republican lawmaker endorsed a doomed, combustible measure: the first gay rights bill to reach the floor of either the House or Senate.
His angst was palpable. The issue tested and built his character. He said he recognized the misgivings of many Illinoisans, but teaching colleagues had convinced him it was unjust to allow discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation. Many of Kustra's fellow lawmakers agreed with him but only privately. They chose career over conscience as the bill was soundly defeated.
It took a quarter century for similar anti-bias legislation to become law. Meanwhile, voters elevated Kustra to the state Senate and elected him twice as lieutenant governor with Gov. Jim Edgar, another Republican gay rights proponent. Now, as current lawmakers consider civil unions, they should reflect on Kustra's fairness, courage and survival.
The legislation at hand does not sanction same-sex marriage. It explicitly protects the practices of religious bodies. They need not ritualize and sanctify the unions. But the proposal would allow gay and lesbian partners to visit critically or gravely ill partners in emergency rooms without negotiating complicated, costly legal mazes. It would give them parity with heterosexuals on estate matters.
Moreover, it would permit heterosexual senior citizens who are widowed to form another fulfilling relationship without imperiling survivor benefits. In other words, legalizing civil unions would bolster the ability to provide the care giving, financial security and overall support we extol in dedicated, faithful spouses.
State Sen. Bill Brady's adamant opposition helped fashion a mosaic of iciness and intolerance that likely cost the Republican gubernatorial candidate and his party a prize they should have snared given the national GOP tide and Illinois' budgetary chaos under Democratic reign. Brady also opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest, embraced the agenda of the National Rifle Association and indicated he favored teaching creationism in public schools. Not surprisingly, he trailed the more centrist GOP senatorial candidate, Mark Kirk, among suburban voters, especially women. No candidate that conservative has won statewide.
The staunchly anti-abortion Peter Fitzgerald tacked toward the center on gun control as he sailed to a 1998 victory over an extremely vulnerable Democratic incumbent, Sen. Carol Moseley Braun. Republican George Ryan carried a generally conservative image into his gubernatorial bid that year but still proved more moderate than Glenn Poshard, who had alienated a chunk of the Democratic base by opposing gay and abortion rights and backing repeal of the federal assault weapon ban.
Dan Rutherford and Judy Baar Topinka, the two Republicans who recaptured statewide offices this year, have been gay rights supporters, and the party would fare better if more Republicans joined them in sincere outreach efforts to minority groups that would broaden the GOP's reach. Indeed, recent polls conducted for the Chicago Tribune by Market Shares Corp. indicate 57 percent of Illinoisans approve of civil unions, compared to 32 percent who disapprove. The margin is 61-29 for those younger than 65 and 69-23 for those 18 to 35.
Sentiment has changed dramatically since Bob Kustra braved the prevailing winds. For a majority of today's legislators who are willing to do the right thing, the winds are at their back.
Mike Lawrence, former reporter, press secretary for then-Gov. Jim Edgar and director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, is retired. He writes a twice-monthly column.