<p align=center> <em>Equally Blessed applauds Governor Quinn&rsquo;s integrity despite Church pressure</em></p> <p align=center> &nbsp;</p> <p> CHICAGO IL January 31 2011&mdash;When Governor Pat Quinn signed the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (SB1716) bill into law this afternoon Illinois families came much closer to fairness under state law said Equally Blessed a coalition of Catholics working for civil and religious equality for gay lesbian bisexual and transgender people.</p> <p> &ldquo;We applaud Governor Quinn for his unequivocal support of all people in Illinois&rdquo; said Nicole Sotelo of Chicago-based Call To Action an Equally Blessed spokesperson. &ldquo;He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to working for justice and the common good and has done that with the civil unions bill as well. We are grateful for the integrity he has shown on this matter despite strong pressure from Church leaders.&rdquo;</p> <p> Christopher Pett president of Dignity/Chicago another Equally Blessed partner organization said &ldquo;As a Catholic I am moved by the profound support of lawmakers voters my family neighbors and fellow church members who took the time to understand what it has meant to be denied the protections that civil recognition offers to couples and families. Treating everyone fairly is an important part of my faith and a foundational belief in our country. I celebrate that we take another step towards doing that today.&rdquo;</p> <p> <em>Equally Blessed is a coalition of faithful Catholics who support full equality for lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people both in the church and in civil society. Equally Blessed includes four organizations that have spent a combined 112 years working on behalf of LGBT people and their families:&nbsp; Call to Action DignityUSA Fortunate Families and New Ways Ministry.</em></p>