Illinois
Equality Illinois' Chicago gala honors activist who led charge to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015
CHICAGO (WLS) — Equality Illinois’ annual gala is being held Saturday evening at the Hilton Chicago downtown.
This year marks 10 years since same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States.
Equality Illinois celebrated that milestone, but with a new White House administration, advocates said they are concerned that LGBTQ+ rights are under fire.
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Equality Illinois fights for the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people.
At Saturday’s gala, the group honored the person who led the charge 10 years ago to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S., Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in a U.S. Supreme Court case.
While it’s considered a triumph, LGBTQ+ advocates said their fight is not over.
We have to keep fighting, otherwise marriage and so much of the progress that we have made in our nation for civil rights will disappear.
Jim Obergefell, LGBTQ+ activist
“For us, it’s a reminder that we have a solid foundation of victories upon which to build,” Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson said. “It is good for queer folks that these rights remain stable.”
Under the music and chandeliers was a feeling that rings louder than the silent auction that began the evening’s gala.
“We will hold on to our rights, and we’re going to resist and fight back against any institution; be it a hospital, a school, a workplace, an employer, who tries to comply in advance with these terrible executive orders coming down,” Johnson said.
It was June 26, 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that all states must grant and recognize same-sex marriages.
“My late husband, John, and I – we wanted to exist,” Obergefell said.
That fight was led by Obergefell after he sued Ohio for the state to recognize his marriage.
SEE ALSO | LGBTQ+ group rallies at UI Health after Trump administration sued over transgender care order
“We have to keep fighting, otherwise marriage and so much of the progress that we have made in our nation for civil rights will disappear,” Obergefell said.
Those efforts that led to a Supreme Court victory were honored at a sold-out gala Saturday, with local and state leaders in attendance.
“The threats to all those gains are very, very real,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, (D) IL 5th District. “And, somehow, during the last campaign, the LGBT community has become the scapegoat, particularly the trans community.”
While the hundreds of attendees enjoyed the revelry and accomplishments, LGBTQ+ supporters say their fight must continue.
“We’re going to stop at nothing until LGBTQ-plus people are fully equal, fully safe, and fully affirmed under the law,” Johnson said.
“We are much more alike than we are different.” Obergefell said.
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One person is dead after a fire inside a condo complex in south suburban Glenwood on Saturday evening.
It happened around 5 p.m. in the 900 block of 194th Street.
Glenwood fire officials said that crews responded to a second-floor unit inside the three-story building that was engulfed with flames.
It was confirmed that one person died in the fire. Their identity was not released.
Neighbors in adjoining condos were displaced. The Red Cross was working to provide further assistance to those affected.
Glenwood fire said they are working with the state fire marshal to investigate what led up to the blaze.
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.
FCS championship bracket
Click or tap here to view the bracket
FCS championship schedule
All times Eastern
Quarterfinals
- Friday, December 12
- Saturday, December 13
Semifinals
- Saturday, December 20
- Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
- Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
National Championship
FCS championship rounds, dates
- Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
- Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
- National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET
FCS selections
The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release.
Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.
AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids
FCS championship history
North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | North Dakota State | Tim Polasek | 35-32 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2023 | South Dakota State | Jimmy Rogers | 23-3 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| 2022 | South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 45-21 | North Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2021 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 38-10 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2020 | Sam Houston | K.C. Keeler | 23-21 | South Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2019 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 28-20 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2018 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 38-24 | Eastern Washington | Frisco, Texas |
| 2017 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 17-13 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2016 | James Madison | Mike Houston | 28-14 | Youngstown State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2015 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 37-10 | Jacksonville State | Frisco, Texas |
Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — After a brief lull in the weather on Friday, now another winter storm is setting its sights on central Illinois. Come Saturday, our next round of Winter is set to arrive. A new weather maker sweeps across the Upper Midwest, causing more snow to develop by mid-morning on Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 7AM Saturday through 8 PM Saturday evening. The snow will pick up intensity by late-morning and last through the afternoon into the early evening hours before ending. This new weather system will follow a path very similar to the previous storm system and spread a swath of moderate to locally heavy snow. Before the snow wraps up Saturday evening, expect another 2″-4″ for much of central Illinois, with afternoon high temperatures bitterly cold in the mid-teens.
But the worst blast of cold air comes in Saturday evening into Sunday. Frigid Arctic air surges down from Canada causing temperatures to really tumble, driving in the coldest weather we’ve had in a long time and certainly the coldest so far this season. A Cold Weather Advisory is issued from 8 PM Saturday through Noon on Sunday. Sunday morning will be dangerously cold with wind chills around 20 to 25 BELOW ZERO. With wind chills this extreme, it doesn’t take long to suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Please stay inside to keep warm, but if you do need to venture out, limit the time you spend outdoors, and make sure to cover up all exposed skin by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. Sunday afternoon features lots of sunshine, but despite the sunshine, temperatures will be brutally cold and frigid with high temperatures stuck in the low single numbers while wind chills remain well below zero.
Expect more extremely chilly weather on Monday with wind chills still ranging from 5 to 15 BELOW ZERO in the morning and afternoon highs only reaching into the 20s. Then temperatures will finally start to warm up, and we should climb out of the deep freeze with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday.
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