Illinois advocate for same-sex marriage
CHICAGO - Vernita Gray, a gay-rights activist who wed her partner in Illinois’ first same-sex marriage, has died at age 65.
Gray died late Tuesday of cancer at the same Chicago home where she married Patricia Ewert in late November, family friend Jim Bennett said. Bennett was among friends who were gathered at the home when Gray died.
Gray’s failing health and her wish to marry persuaded a federal judge to order that an expedited marriage license be granted to the couple ahead of the June 1 effective date of the state’s same-sex marriage law. A subsequent judge’s ruling then paved the way for more same-sex couples to marry early in some Illinois counties.
Gray worked for gay rights for decades, advocating for same-sex marriage long before many other activists saw it as a possibility, Bennett said. To win over conservatives, she made the case that her Social Security survivor benefits should go to her partner, and her knack for working with people across the political spectrum “made everyone feel that they had a unique contribution to move us forward,” he said.
A former restaurant owner, Gray worked for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office for 18 years, assisting crime victims and witnesses.
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