Journal & Topics Media Group

Same-Sex Marriage Licenses: Cook County Closes In On No. 15,000


(Left to right) Friends Cindy Krizizke, Jennifer Eisenmenger and Lisa Montiel hold up a flag supporting the LGBTQ community in 2019.

The Cook County Clerk’s Office announced in early December that 14,860 same-sex marriage licenses have been issued in the last six years — a number that was hoped would reach 15,000 before the year ended. While the county didn’t hit its goal by Dec. 31, county officials do expect to reach 15,000 by the end of next week.

As of Friday, Jan. 3, the county had issued 14,988 same-sex marriage licenses. There’s a dry erase board on the wall in the Vital Records Bureau office in downtown Chicago that’s updated with the exact number each morning. Currently, the average number of same-sex marriage license issued is around four per day.

“When couple #15,000 applies for their marriage license, the Vital Records clerk processing the application will alert them they’re #15,000 then will ask them if they’d like to also be married by Clerk (Karen) Yarbrough,” said Cook County Deputy Director of Communications James Scalzitti. “The clerk will then go down to the Vital Records office, congratulate the couple, marry them, toast them with a couple glasses of sparkling juice and we will also give them a special commemorative marriage certificate, courtesy of the Clerk’s Office.”

In 2013, Illinois became the 16th state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. Back when the county first announced its goal in November 2019, Chicago claimed the highest percentage of same-sex marriage licenses issued in Cook County with 8,308 licenses, with Evanston the second highest with 245.

As of Jan. 3, Des Plaines leads the Journal coverage area with 108, the highest number of licenses issued. Palatine follows at 90, Arlington Heights with 73, Mount Prospect with 55, Wheeling with 46, Elk Grove Village with 38.

Niles came in at a low 26, Park Ridge with 24, Buffalo Grove with 20, Rolling Meadows with 22 and Rosemont with three.

These are the totals of marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples living in the aforementioned suburbs and account for the last six years. Cook County has more than 130 municipalities.

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