October 29th, 1997 to November 4th, 1997

Oak Parkers Inaugurate Illinois' 1st Domestic Partnership Registry

by P.J. Engelbrecht

Five Oak Park couples, their families and friends gathered early at the service counter of Village Clerk Sandra Sokol's office in Village Hall on Monday morning, Oct. 27. They were first in line to register their domestic partnerships with the village, making state history in the process. On Sept. 2, the Oak Park Board of Trustees had voted 5-2 to approve Section 2-10-13A of the Village Code, establishing the state's first Domestic Partnership Registry.

The office atmosphere grew quietly festive as Phil Bellerive and Ron Rauche filed their notarized paperwork, paid their $50 fee and legally solemnized their 12-year relationship. "I'm proud of these guys," said Phil's venerable, beaming mother as she looked on. The Oak Park homeowners had supported the Registry during public hearings earlier this year. "It's been an uphill battle, but finally the day has come," Bellerive said.

Domestic partners "officially" for four years, Cheryl Haugh and Betsy Stith became the first women to register, just moments later. They were accompanied by their children, Sophia and Isaac Stith, aged 9 and 13, respectively. The grinning women were presented long-stemmed roses once the DPR certificate was "in hand."

Stith and Haugh recognize that "it's hard to have relationships, particularly in our community," so they're always "ready to take advantage of" any social support available to lesbian relationships. They half-ironically described the Registry as "about as symbolic as the right to vote."

Right behind the lead-off couples were three more pairs of partners. Merle Shapera and Sherry Magdic reported in duet fashion the details of their commitment ceremony on New Year's Eve 1995. "This is very different and very wonderful," they said of the Registry procedure. "That was the spiritual part of the union, this is the legal part." "The binding part," Sherry added with a sly giggle.

Karen Jordan and Katy Woodworth moved to Oak Park from Baltimore two years ago, though they've been partnered for nine years. They settled in the suburb because people had suggested to them that it was "a nice place to live ... [with] a city feel." They agree. The chance to become a part of history by registering was pure bonus.

"I don't think we ever thought of this as a possibility," remarked Tony Dombrowski. He and Bob Vogler, his partner of almost six years, had just completed proclaiming the gravity of their relationship through registering it, but the men were anything but grave. "The opportunity is very exciting ... icing on the cake!" Dombrowolski said enthusiastically.

During a momentary calm in the quasi-nuptial to-do, Steve Glickman pointed out that the Registry demonstrates that Oak Park "recognizes the ... importance of same-sex partnership. The symbolic significance is immeasurable; it speaks volumes to the community that gay and lesbian couples and families cannot be ignored." Glickman is co-chair of the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association.

Zack Gelnaw-Rubin, 13, and his highly vocal little sister, Dewey Gelnaw-Brickley, 21 months, posed with moms Aimee Gelnaw and Margie Brickley, shortly after the women completed registering their eight-year-long partnership. Why did they move to Oak Park just over a year ago? "We heard it was a wonderful accepting community with a great school system ... perfect for our family," said Brickley, and Gelnaw remarked on the sense of safety she feels when her "different" family does not have to "keep secrets." Zack agreed that "most [kids] are OK" about his lesbian moms, but also mentioned that some kids he knows are "pretty bad. They don't do it to me, it's just a lot of slurring all the time."

Even in Oak Park. Though the Domestic Partnership Registry is operational and "wonderful," as OPALGA public policy chair Alan Amato described it, there's always more progressive work to do.

Meanwhile, each partnership generates a $50 fee for the Village-twice the amount that had been bandied-about before enactment. Village Clerk Sandra Sokol handled the lighthearted hoopla of happy couples and media with aplomb. "We all survived," she said, as folks drifted out of the Village office around 10 a.m.

Sokol confirmed that a potential referendum condemning the Registry did not qualify for balloting during the next election.

The Registry confers no explicit legal or marital rights to same-sex couples-only a public recognition through a public instrument. For the happy registrants, that seemed to be enough.

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