Lesbian couple has first legal same-sex marriage in Illinois

CHICAGO, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A Chicago lesbian couple -- one of whom is battling terminal breast cancer -- had the first legal same-sex marriage in Illinois, officials said.

Vernita Gray and Patricia Ewert exchanged vows Wednesday in the living room of the couple's apartment with two dozen close friends and family, said Erik Roldan, a spokesman for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Gray and Ewert filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago seeking the right to marry immediately due to Gray's prognosis, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Doctors said it was unlikely she would live until June, when the state's recently passed same-sex marriage law will go into effect, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

"Every day is crucial for same-sex couples like Vernita and Pat, who may not be able to, and shouldn't have to, wait until next summer to get married," said Camilla Taylor, Marriage Project director for Lambda Legal, which represented the couple in their lawsuit. "We're thankful for the swift action by the court and the Cook County clerk's office to allow this to happen as soon as possible, and we're beyond thrilled for Vernita and Pat, who are now able to say, 'We're married.'"

"I'm so excited for us and for the community, for today is a beginning. One so richly deserved," Gray said after the ceremony.