As of January 4, 2017, U.S. District Court judge ruled that certified Secular Celebrants are now authorized to solemnize marriages in the state of Illinois. Secular celebrants are officially permitted to solemnize marriages in the state of Illinois after the Center for Inquiry and Galen Broaddus successfully challenged the constitutionality of the statute in federal court.
“A marriage may be solemnized by a judge of a court of record, by a retired judge of a court of record, unless the retired judge was removed from office by the Judicial Inquiry Board, except that a retired judge shall not receive any compensation from the State, a county or any unit of local government in return for the solemnization of a marriage and there shall be no effect upon any pension benefits conferred by the Judges Retirement System of Illinois, by a judge of the Court of Claims, by a county clerk in counties having 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, by a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, or in accordance with the prescriptions of any religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group, provided that when such prescriptions require an officiant, the officiant be in good standing with his or her religious denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group.”
Before the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Marriage Act was ruled in this form, solemnizing marriages in Illinois was the exclusive purview of religious officials or select government employees, leaving no recourse for nonreligious couples who preferred an officiant who shares their closely held secular values. But now, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce ruled that “marriages solemnized by Center for Inquiry secular celebrants are valid,” and secular celebrants can be relieved.
Galen Broaddus
The Center for Inquiry brought the suit with plaintiff Galen Broaddus, a CFI-certified Secular Celebrant who is now free to perform and solemnize marriages. The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. In January 2016, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science announced that it was merging with the Center for Inquiry, with Robyn Blumner as the CEO of the combined organizations.
For those in Illinois who wish to become Secular Celebrants, training by Reba Boyd Wooden, director of CFI’s celebrant program, will be held in the state in the coming weeks.
“I am truly relieved by this ruling, and I am ready to get to work,” said Broaddus. “I think of all the couples who feel marginalized for being nonreligious, who either had to compromise their core beliefs by taking part in a religious wedding ceremony, or else settled for a government wedding. But now they have the opportunity to have one of the most deeply meaningful events of their lives commemorated in a way that reflects who they are.”
CFI made a historical move in 2014 when the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unanimously ruled that the state of Indiana must allow marriages to be performed and solemnized by Secular Celebrants, such as those certified by the Center for Inquiry (CFI). With that and this one crucial victory for nonreligious Americans’ equality, CFI will now look to make similar gains in states such as Texas, Michigan, and Ohio.
Photo Credits: Center for Inquiry
